BX  9178  .B846  1900 
Burrell,  David  James,  1844- 

1926. 
The  unaccountable  man 


The  Unaccountable  Man 


The  Unaccountable  '  M^h  ^  ^^. . 


BY 


David   James   Burrell,   D.D. 

Pastor  of  the  Collegiate  Church  at  Fifth  Avenue  and  29th  Street, 
New  York 


New  York  Chicago  Toronto 

FLEMING    H.   REVELL    COMPANY 

Publishers  of  Evangelical  Literature 


Copyright,  1900 

BY 

FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

The  Unaccountable  Man 9 

The  Beatific  Vision i8 

What  We  Know  About  Heaven       .        .        .        .  •     .  30 

What  Would  Jesus  Do?         ......  4* 

The  PoTTfiR  AND  the  Clay 55 

The  Perfect  Law  of  Liberty 66 

The  Privilege  of  the  Strong 77, 

The  Scarlet  Thread 88 

A  Tragedy 98 

Sowing  and  Reaping 108 

The  Christ-Child  and  the  Innocents     .        .        .        .118 

The  Demoniac  of  Gadara 128 

Back  to  Christ 140 

The  Backsliding  of  John  Mark 149 

The  Farewell  Prayer  of  Jesus 160 

Peter's  Sword 171 

Christlikeness 181 

The  Bright  Side  of  Failure 191 

Church  Unity 202 

A  Cup  of  Cold  Water 214 

Peter  and  John  at  the  Open  Sepulcher        .        .        .  224 


CONTENTS 

PAGS 

The  Parable  of  the  Empty  House      ,       *       .       .  233 

The  Finding  of  an  Old  Book 243 

The  Unpardonable  Sin 253 

Aquila  and  Priscilla 262 

"And  thus  I  Make  My  Pilgrimage"  ....  273 

The  Scribes  and  Pharisees 283 

The  Drag-net 292 

"In  Him  Ye  Ben  Fylled"        .         .        .        .        .        .362 


THE  UNACCOUNTABLE  MAN 

"What  manner  of  man  is  this?"— Mark  4,  21. 

An  old  proverb  says,  "The  secret  of  Messiah  is 
the  secret  of  man";  that  is,  To  come  face  to  face 
with  Christ  is  to  solve  all  the  problems  of  life.  The 
Church  has  made  an  historic  blunder  in  addressing 
herself  so  exclusively  to  dogmatic  apologetics  rather 
than  to  the  personal  Christ  and  to  all  the  truths  of 
religion  as  radiating  from  him.  For  Christianity  is 
distinguished  from  all  other  religions  by  the  fact  that 
it  has  no  life  apart  from  him  who  breathed  his  person- 
ality into  it.  If  the  memory  of  Sakya  Muni  were  blotted 
out,  the  Three  Baskets  of  Buddhism  would  still  remain. 
If  the  name  of  Confucius  were  obliterated,  his  multi- 
tudinous followers  would  still  cherish  the  Analects. 
But  Christ  is  identical  with  Christianity ;  he  is  its  head, 
its  throbbing  heart,  its  all  in  all. 

The  question  of  questions,  therefore,  is  not  "What 
think  ye  of  Christianity?"  but  "What  think  ye  of 
Christ?"  There  seems  to  be  a  disposition  in  some 
quarters  to  ignore  the  personal  factor  and  retain  the 
ethical  system:  but  this  is  as  impossible  as  it  would 
be  to  keep  the  sunlight  and  reject  the  sun.  For,  in 
the  last  reduction,  there  is  nothing  in  Christianity 
but  Christ. 

(9) 


lO  THE   UNACCOUNTABLE   MAN. 

A  calm  discussion  of  this  question  touching  the 
personality  of  Christ  can  lead  to  one  conclusion  only, 
as  we  shall  presently  see.  The  disciples,  on  the  road 
to  that  conclusion,  happened  on  many  surprises  and 
startling  denouements.  They  had  reason  to  suppose 
that  they  knew  something  of  Jesus,  being  on  terms 
of  closest  intimacy  with  him,  yet  now  and  then  a 
truth  fell  from  his  lips,  so  new,  so  bold  and  illumina- 
ting, that  they  looked  into  each  other's  faces  with 
questioning  amaze.  Or  perhaps  it  was  a  miracle, — the 
cleansing  of  a  leper  or  the  stilling  of  a  tempest, — which 
moved  them  to  cry,  "  What  manner  of  man  is  this  ?  " 

I.  As  we  pursue  this  inquiry  we  shall  find  our- 
selves for  a  while  on  common  groicnd.  All  thought- 
ful men  are  agreed  that  Jesus  was  a  wonderful  man. 

Observe  his  singular  Purity  of  Character.  His  life 
in  Nazareth,  a  town  notorious  for  vice,  was  like  the 
shining  of  a  solitary  star  in  a  dark  sky.  Thirty-odd 
years  he  walked  among  enemies  eager  to  criticize, 
yet  they  found  "no  fault  in  him  at  all."  All  through 
the  centuries  a  derisive  finger  has  been  pointed  at 
Christians  for  their  moral  defections,  but  never  at 
Christ.  He  is  universally  conceded  to  have  been  an 
upright  man. 

His  extraordinary  Wisdom,  also,  is  matter  of  com- 
mon fame.  He  had  a  singular  insight  into  the  doc- 
trines of  the  spiritual  life.  He  laid  a  bold  hand  on 
great  problems,  and  unfolded  them  to  the  understand- 
ing of  simple  folk.  The  common  people  heard  him 
gladly.  The  religionists  of  his  time  knowing  him  to 
be  untaught  and  untraveled,  asked,  "Whence  has 
this  man  this  wisdom  ?  "  A  significant  comment  on 
his  teaching  was,  "Never  man  spake  like  this  man." 


THE   UNACCOUNTABLE    MAN.  11 

On  one  occasion  a  learned  doctor  of  divinity  called 
upon  him  and  said  frankly,  "We  know  that  thou 
art  a  teacher  come  from  God." 

There  is  a  like  consensus  as  to  his  Power.  He 
wrought  miracles,  having  power  over  nature,  over 
disease  and  over  the  minds  of  men.  He  said  to 
Matthew  at  the  receipt  of  customs,  and  to  the  fisher- 
men of  Gennesaret,  "Follow  me,"  and,  for  some 
strange  reason,  they  rose  up  and  followed  him. 

But  his  Benignity  was  most  remarkable  of  all. 
The  law  of  kindness  was  in  his  heart.  His  life  is  re- 
corded in  a  brief  monograph,  "He  went  about  doing 
good."  Most  philanthropists  are  content  with  help- 
ing "God's  poor,"  but  he  was  gracious  also  toward 
that  ill-deserving  multitude  known  as  the  "Devil's 
poor."  He  had  a  kind  word  on  occasion  for  thieves 
and  Magdalenes  ;  his  ministry  was  fitly  concluded 
in  the  prayer  which  he  offered  for  his  own  murderers. 
Put  yourself  in  his  place;  the  death-anguish  upon 
him,  gangrene  burning  in  his  wounds,  sorrow  break- 
ing his  heart;  yet  thus  he  prayed,  "Father  forgive 
them,  for  they  know  not  what  they  do  !  " 

All  are  agreed,  I  say,  up  to  this  point;  that  he 
was  the  best,  the  wisest,  the  mightiest,  the  most 
magnanimous  of  men.  The  words  with  which  the 
infidel  Renan  concludes  his  "FzV  de  J^sus"  will  ex- 
press an  almost  universal  conviction;  "Whatever 
may  be  the  surprises  for  the  future,  Jesus  will  never 
be  surpassed.  His  worship  will  grow  young  without 
ceasing;  his  legend  will  call  forth  tears  without  end; 
his  sufferings  will  melt  the  noblest  hearts;  all  ages 
will  proclaim,  that,  among  the  sons  of  men,  there  is 
none  born  greater  than  Jesus." 


l2  THE   UNACCOUNTABLE    MAN. 

II.  But  there  is  an  Unknown  Factor  here;  like  the 
^' X  "  in  an  algebraic  problem,  which  must  somehow 
be  reduced  to  known  terms. 

Let  us  return  to  a  consideration  of  his  personal 
Purity.  Here  is  the  singular  fact:  it  represented  not 
sin  at  its  minimum,  but  absolute  freedom  from  sin. 
His  challenge  was,  "  Which  of  you  convinceth  me  of 
sin  ? "  and  the  response  of  his  official  judge  was,  "  I 
find  no  fault  in  him  at  all."  It  is  obvious  that  sin- 
lessness  places  him  wholly  outside  the  circle  of 
human  life.  For  "there  is  no  difference,  all  have 
sinned  and  come  short  of  the  glory  of  God."  He  was 
not,  therefore,  primus  inter  pares.  He  stood  solitary 
and  alone  in  his  integrity.  It  is  not  enough  to  say, 
he  was  the  best  of  sinful  men.  He  was  better  than 
the  best  of  men. 

We  observe,  also,  a  singular  quality  in  his  Wis- 
dom. All  other  teachers  have  announced  their  mes- 
sage with  a  "Thus  saith  the  Lord";  he  never.  He 
taught  "as  one  having  authority  and  not  as  the 
scribes."  His  word  was,  "Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto 
you."  He  made  himself  the  court  of  last  appeal: 
"Ye  have  heard  how  it  was  said  by  them  of  old 
time  thus  and  so,  but  I  say  unto  you."  Who  is  this 
that  presumes  to  set  himself  against  all  courts  and 
assemblies,  all  traditions  and  formularies  and  pre- 
cedents ?  Down  come  the  schools  of  philosophy! 
Down  come  the  temples  of  antiquity  before  his  ipse 
dixit!  Emerson  says,  "Here  is  the  miracle,  that 
Jesus  spake  from  within."  He  himself  was  authority; 
as  he  said,  "I  am  the  truth."  An  attitude  like  this 
is  not  to  be  accounted  for  on  the  ground  that  he  was 
merely  the  wisest  of  men. 


THE   UNACCOUNTABLE    MAN.  I^ 

So  with  reference  to  his  exercise  of  Power. 
This  also  was  of  himself  alone.  All  other  miracle- 
workers  must  say,  **  In  the  name  of  God  ";  he  never. 
On  one  occasion  a  leper  came  pleading,  "If  thou 
wilt,  thou  canst  make  me  clean."  How  did  he  meet 
that  challenge?  "I  will!  Be  thou  clean!"  Thus 
all  his  wonders  were  wrought.  To  the  dumb  he  said, 
''Ephphatha!"  To  the  dead, ''Tali't/iacwm/  There  is 
no  appeal  to  a  superior  source  of  power;  it  is,  "Dam- 
sel, I  say  unto  thee,  arise!"  Here  evidently  was 
something  beyond  the  experience  of  common  exor- 
cists and  thaumaturgists.  He  was  more  than  the 
mightiest  of  men. 

And  again  as  to  his  Benignity.  He  represents 
himself  as  having  come  from  somewhere  on  a  mission. 
He  has  "business"  in  hand.  The  healing  of  a  few 
sick  people,  the  raising  of  the  dead,  the  calming  of 
the  stormy  sea,  were  merely  episodes  along  his  way. 
He  passes  on,  with  his  face  set  steadfastly  toward  the 
Cross;  and  here  he  reaches  the  fulfillment  of  his  mis- 
sion. In  the  article  of  death  he  cries,  "It  is  finished!" 
What  was  finished  ?  That  question  must  be  answered 
if  you  would  arrive  at  any  reasonable  conclusion 
respecting  the  Christ.  You  must  explain  that  long 
journey  of  beneficence  and  the  Cross  at  the  journey's 
end.  It  is  pitifully  inadequate  to  say,  "He  was  the 
most  magnanimous  of  men." 

In  one  of  Domenichino's  pictures  the  dead  Christ 
is  represented  hanging  on  the  Cross  in  the  gather- 
ing shadows  of  the  night;  and  a  solitary  angel,  with 
a  look  of  infinite  perplexity,  is  touching  the  points 
of  the  thorny  crown.  Aye,  there  is  the  center  of  the 
great  problem;   and  the  angels  desire  to  look  into  it. 


14  THE    UNACCOUNTABLE    MAN. 

III.  We  come  now  to  the  Testimony  of  Christ  Himself. 
It  needs  scarcely  be  said  that  all  who  go  so  far  as  to 
concede  that  Jesus  was  the  best,  wisest,  mightiest 
and  most  magnanimous  of  men,  will  of  course  be 
be  willing  to  give  due  weight  to  his  own  statement. 
He  alone  can  solve  the  problem  as  to  his  personality. 
Let  us  observe  how  he  does  it. 

To  begin  with,  he  formally  repudiates  all  praise 
accorded  to  mere  human  Goodness.  He  will  have 
none  of  it.  A  young  ruler  prostrated  himself  before 
him,  saying,  "Good  rabbi,  what  shall  I  do  that 
I  may  inherit  eternal  life  ? "  and  Jesus  answered, 
"Why  callest  thou  me  good?  There  is  none 
good  but  one,  that  is  God."  Now  this  was  either  a 
confession  of  personal  sin, — which  is  incredible, 
since  everywhere  else  he  makes  the  opposite  claim — 
or  else  it  was  a  clear  declaration  that  his  righteous- 
ness was  nothing  short  of  the  holiness  of  God. 

He  makes  a  similar  claim  as  to  his  Wisdom.  "My 
doctrine  is  not  mine,"  he  says,  "but  his  that  sent 
me."  And  again:  "  Believest  thou  not  that  I  am  in 
the  Father  and  the  Father  in  me  ?  The  words  that 
I  speak  unto  you,  I  speak  not  of  myself;  the  Father 
which  dwelleth  in  me,  he  doeth  the  works."  And 
again:  I  have  not  spoken  of  myself,  but  the  Father 
which  sent  me,  he  gave  me  commandment  what  I 
should  say."  And  again,  in  his  sacerdotal  prayer:  "I 
have  given  them  the  words  which  thou  gavest  me ; 
and  they  have  received  them,  and  have  known  surely 
that  I  came  out  from  thee,  and  they  have  believed 
that  thou  didst  send  me."  In  all  such  statements — 
and  they  are  more  than  fifty — there  is  a  plain  refer- 
ence to  his  mysterious  union  with  the  Father.     All 


THE    UNACCOUNTABLE    MAN.  Ij 

along  his  teaching  we  come  upon  intimations  of  a 
silent  partnership  with  God. 

And  the  same  is  true  of  his  extraordinary  Power. 
He  speaks  of  his  miracles  as  wrought  not  merely 
through  the  power  of  God  resting  upon  him,  but  by 
his  own  Godhood.  In  all  his  working  there  are  signs 
of  an  infinite  reserve,  like  the  depths  of  the  sea.  We 
note  the  rolling  waves  and  tossing  billows,  but  far 
beneath  are  unfathomable  depths,  infinite  possibili- 
ties of  power,  never  seen  by  mortal  eyes. 

He  has  somewhat  to  say  also  of  his  Philan- 
thropy. His  mission  is  explained  in  unmistakable 
terms.  He  tells  us  of  his  pre-existence  as  God's  fellow 
from  the  beginning;  and  of  his  setting  out  in  the 
fullness  of  time  to  redeem  the  world  from  sin.  We 
are  left  in  no  doubt  as  to  the  method  by  which  he 
proposed  to  accomplish  it.  In  controversial  circles 
we  sometimes  hear  of  "theories  of  the  atonement." 
Christ  leaves  no  room  for  any  theory  of  the  atone- 
ment; he  tells  us  everything:  "God  so  loved  the  world," 
he  says,  "that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son,  that 
whosoever  believeth  in  him  should  not  perish,  but 
have  eternal  life."  He  informs  us  that  all  the  events 
of  his  earthly  sojourn  are  in  fulfillment  of  prophecy, 
saying,  "  Thus  it  is  written,  and  thus  it  behoveth  me 
to  do."  He  gives  us  the  rationale  of  the  atonement 
in  these  words;  "As  Moses  lifted  up  the  serpent  in  the 
wilderness,  even  so  must  the  Son  of  Man  be  lifted 
up;  that  whosoever  believeth  in  him  should  not 
perish,  but  have  everlasting  life." 

At  the  beginning  of  this  argument  we  stood  on 
common  ground.  Where  do  we  stand  now  ?  One 
thing  is  perfectly  clear;  Jesus  was  what  he  declared 


l6  THE   UNACCOUNTABLE    MAN. 

himself  to  be,  or  else  he  was  not  a  good  man.  His  claim 
was  expressed  in  unequivocal  words:  as  when  the 
high  priest  said  to  him,  "  I  adjure  thee  by  the  living 
God,  that  thou  tell  us  whether  thou  be  the  Christ, 
the  Son  of  the  living  God,"  and  he  answered,  "Thou 
hast  said  it!  " 

The  enemies  of  Jesus,  in  order  to  accomplish  his 
death,  laid  many  things  to  his  charge.  He  was 
accused  of  sedition ;  but  that  fell  through.  He  was 
accused  of  refusing  to  pay  tribute  to  Caesar;  that 
also  came  to  naught.  He  was  accused  of  putting 
himself  forward  as  a  rival  claimant  to  the  throne; 
that  too  was  thrown  out  of  court.  All  that  was  left 
of  the  indictment  was  this:  "He  maketh  himself 
equal  with  God."  And  it  was  under  this  charge 
that  he  was  sentenced  to  the  cross.  Why  did  he  not 
deny  the  accusation  ?  He  might  have  saved  him- 
self with  a  word ;  but  he  never  uttered  it.  He  died 
for  making  himself  equal  with  God.  Is  it  not  obvious 
therefore,  to  every  thoughtful  man,  that  the  common 
ground  of  which  we  spoke  awhile  ago  is  untenable  ? 
Is  it  not  clear  that  fesus  was  either  more  or  less  than  the 
best  of  men  ? 

The  original  question  calls  for  an  answer.  The 
issues  of  eternity  flow  out  of  it.  If  Christ  was  what 
he  claimed  to  be,  he  is  worthy  of  all  adoration  and 
service;  if  not,  he  should  be  frankly  repudiated; 
since  by  no  stretch  of  the  imagination  can  he  be 
regarded  as  merely  a  good  man. 

It  is  the  part  of  wisdom  to  solve  this  problem, 
and  without  delay.  Let  us  look  at  Jesus,  fairly, 
face  to  face.  Let  us  follow  him  through  his  life  as 
recorded  in  the  Gospels,  listening  to  his  teachings^ 


THE    UNACCOUNTABLE    MAN.  I7 

and  beholding  his  wonderful  works,  until  we  come 
to  the  cross.  There  let  us  witness  the  great  tragedy 
with  minds  open  to  conviction.  The  Centurion  who 
had  charge  of  the  crucifixion  of  Jesus,  saw  him 
during  the  mortal  hours  of  his  anguish:  and  when 
all  was  over  he  felt  constrained  to  say,  "Verily  this 
was  a  righteous  man!  "  But  that  did  not  satisfy  him.  : 
His  conscience  was  busy;  and  the  last  word  had  not 
been  uttered  yet.  As  he  turned  and  rode  down,  from 
the  scene  of  the  tragedy  to  Jerusalem,  where  the 
evening  lamps  were  now  kindling,  he  turned  and 
looked  backward.  The  dark  effigy  of  the  cross  was 
yonder  against  the  sky;  and  he  spoke  again,  "Verily, 
this  was  the  son  of  God !  " 

We  have,  besides  the  Gospels,  the  light  of  history 
to  guide  us.  The  Christ  who  was  crucified  has  been 
walking  through  the  centuries,  teaching  and  working 
wonders.  The  world  grows  better  and  brighter  by 
the  power  of  his  truth  and  under  the  luminous 
shadow  of  his  cross.  If  he  were  to  appear  to-day,  my 
friend,  in  person  before  you,  lifting  his  pierced 
hands,  as  in  the  presence  of  doubting  Thomas  in  the 
upper  room,  what  would  you  say  ?  You  must  in  all 
reason,  fall  before  him  as  Thomas  did,  saying,  "My 
Lord  and  my  God  !  " 


THE   BEATIFIC  VISION 

"  I  saw  the  Lord  sitting  upon  a  throne,  high  and  lifted  up." — Isaiah  6,  i. 

This  was  "  in  the  year  that  king  Uzziah  died," 
that  is,  in  the  afterglow  of  Jewish  history.  It  is 
written  of  Uzziah  that  "he  did  that  which  was  right 
in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  save  only  that  the  high 
places  were  not  removed."  But  there  is  a  world  of 
sad  meaning  in  this  "save  only";  it  stamps  him  as  a 
well-meaning  but  weak  man.  We  are  not  surprised 
to  learn  that  he  had  an  overweening  sense  of  his  own 
importance;  since  weakness  and  conceit  go  usually 
hand  in  hand.  For  pride  and  presumption  he  was 
smitten  with  leprosy,  so  that  he  must  needs  "dwell 
in  a  several  house."  A  leper  king;  a  people  laden 
with  iniquity;  the  high  places  blazing  with  sacrifices 
in  honor  of  Baal  and  Astarte;  the  kingdom  rushing 
fast  to  ruin.  These  were  the  circumstances  of  Isa- 
iah's time. 

Is  it  strange  that  his  heart  sank  within  him?  He 
saw  the  awful  cataclysm  drawing  near,  and  felt  him- 
self impotent  to  avert  it.  The  sins  of  the  people  laid 
on  him  a  burden  beyond  what  he  was  able  to  bear. 
"The  daughter  of  Zion,"  he  mourned,  "  is  left  as  a 
cottage  in  a  vineyard,  as  a  lodge  in  a  garden  of 
cucumbers,  as  a  besieged  city!"  In  vain  did  he 
exhort  to  repentance:   "Ah  sinful  nation,  why  should 

(i8) 


THE    BEATIFIC    VISION.  I9 

ye  be  stricken  any  more  ?  The  whole  head  is  sick 
and  the  whole  heart  faint.  From  the  sole  of  the 
foot  even  unto  the  head  there  is  no  soundness;  but 
wounds,  and  bruises,  and  putrefying  sores.  Wash 
ye,  make  you  clean  ;  put  away  the  evil  of  your  doings 
from  before  mine  eyes;  cease  to  do  evil;  learn  to  do 
well!  "  It  was  the  voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilder- 
ness; there  was  none  that  would  heed  his  agonized 
warning. 

Then  the  vision  came:  ^^  I  saw  the  Lord  sitti tig  upon 
a  throne,  high  and  lifted  up,  and  his  train  filled  the  temple. 
Above  it  stood  the  seraphijii;  each  one  had  six  wings;  with 
twain  he  covered  his  face,  and  with  twain  he  covered  his 
feet,  and  with  twain  he  did  fly.  And  one  cried  unto  another, 
and  said,  Holy,  holy,  holy  is  the  Lord  of  hosts;  the  whole 
earth  is  full  of  his  glory.  And  the  foundations  of  the 
thresholds  were  moved  at  the  voice,  and  the  house  was  filled 
with  smoke.  Then  said  L,  Woe  is  me  !  for  L  am  undone; 
because  I  am  a  man  of  unclean  lips,  and  J  dwell  in  the 
midst  of  a  people  of  unclean  lips  :  for  mine  eyes  have  seen 
the  King,  the  Lord  of  hosts  !  Then  flew  one  of  the  sera- 
phim unto  me,  having  a  live  coal  in  his  hand,  which  he  had 
taken  with  the  tongs  from  off  the  altar:  and  he  touched  my 
mouth  with  it  and  said,  Lo,  this  hath  touched  thy  lips;  and 
thine  iniquity  is  taken  away,  and  thy  sin  purged.  And  L 
heard  the  voice  of  the  Lord,  saying.  Whom  shall  I  send, 
and  who  will  go  for  us  7  Then  I  said,  Here  am  L;  send 
me.'' 

What  influence  had  this  vision  on  the  life  and 
character  of  Isaiah  ?  for  it  cannot  be  imagined  that 
such  an  event  could  be  without  definite  result. 

I.  He  was  enabled,  by  this  Vision,  to  read  and  inter- 
pret more  clearly  the  Signs  of  the  Times.     This   is  the 


20  THE    BEATIFIC    VISION. 

mark  of  a  true  prophet,  to  know  the  meaning  of 
current  events.  Any  man  can  behold  the  skies  red 
and  lowering;  but  to  look  beyond  and  see  God  reg- 
nant, this  is  genuine  clairvoyance.  The  clew  of  his- 
tory is  a  clear  perception  of  the  fact  that  the  hearts 
of  kings  are  in  the  hand  of  God,  and  that  he  maketh 
the  wrath  of  men  to  praise  him. 

As  a  rule  reformers  are  a  melancholy  folk.  They 
dwell  amid  the  confused  noise  of  battle  and  are  blind 
to  the  outcome.  The  smoke  must  lift;  the  vision 
must  appear;  they  must  for  their  encouragement 
behold  the  King  high  and  lifted  up. 

There  was  Moses, — a  mighty  reformer, — whose 
vehemence  bore  him  on  to  precipitate  the  issue  of  the 
time.  An  exile  in  the  Desert  of  Midian,  in  sullen 
despondency  he  awaited  the  vision.  It  came  at  the 
burning  bush;  "and  the  Lord  said,  I  have  surely 
seen  the  affliction  of  my  people  and  I  am  come  down 
to  deliver  them.  Go  thou,  and  say  unto  the  children 
of  Israel,  I  AM  hath  sent  me  unto  you!  " — Elijah  also 
was  a  great  reformer;  but  terrified  by  the  threats  of 
Jezebel,  he  fled  to  the  wilderness  and  **  requested 
for  himself  that  he  might  die."  And  the  word  of  the 
Lord  came  unto  him,  saying,  "What  doest  thou  here, 
Elijah?"  He  answered,  "I  have  been  very  jealous  for 
the  Lord  the  God  of  Hosts;  for  the  children  of  Israel 
have  forsaken  thy  covenant,  have  thrown  down  thine 
altars,  and  slain  thy  prophets  with  the  sword ;  and  I, 
even  I  only,  am  left;  and  they  seek  my  life."  Then 
the  Lord  passed  by  in  earthquake,  tempest  and  fire; 
and  after  the  fire  came  a  still,  small  voice.  And  the 
voice  said,  "Go,  return!"  And  never  again  did 
Elijah  shrink  from  service,  because  he  knew  the  Lord 


THE    BEATIFIC    VISION.  21 

was  with  him. — A  like  vision  came  to  Daniel  in 
Babylon.  Well  might  he  mourn  for  the  afflictions 
of  his  people,  coming  in  successive  companies,  loaded 
with  chains,  through  the  gates  of  the  pagan  city. 
But  he  beheld  in  a  vision  of  the  night ;  and  lo !  a  lion,  a 
bear,  a  leopard  and  a  nondescript  beast  with  iron  feet. 
The  great  world  powers,  in  these  similitudes,  passed 
before  him ;  and  after  them  the  throne  was  set  in 
heaven  and  the  Ancient  of  Days  took  his  place  upon 
it ;  **and  there  was  given  unto  him  dominion  and  glory 
and  a  kingdom;  that  all  the  peoples,  and  nations 
and  languages  should  serve  him."  All  fear  was 
dispelled  by  the  multitudinous  voices  crying,  **His 
Kingdom  is  an  everlasting  kingdom  and  all  domin- 
ions shall  serve  and  obey  him!  " — John,  the  last  sur- 
vivor of  the  apostles,  was  a  lonely  exile  in  Patmos. 
The  thought  that,  beyond  the  waters  girding  his 
dreary  home,  his  brethren  were  suffering  the  pains  of 
bitter  persecution  while  he  had  neither  part  nor  lot 
with  them,  must  have  grieved  him  to  the  heart.  But 
hope  and  courage  revived  when  he  saw  the  Lord 
walking  in  the  midst  of  the  golden  candlesticks  and 
saying,  "I  am  he  that  liveth  and  was  dead;  and, 
behold,  I  am  alive  forevermore  and  have  the  keys 
of  hell  and  of  death!" 

No,  no,  friends  of  the  kingdom,  the  Lord  has  not 
forgotten.  All  things  are  going  right.  Up  with  your 
hearts!  The  rivers  go  round  and  round,  but  they 
all  flow  into  the  sea.  The  darkest  clouds  are  far  this 
side  of  heaven,  where  in  calm  majesty  the  King  sitteth 
upon  his  throne.  In  the  dark  days  of  the  Reformation 
when  Luther  was  a  prisoner  in  Erfurt,  he  was  wont 
to  quicken  his  faith  and  revive  his  courage  by  sing- 


22  THE   BEATIFIC   VISION. 

ing  the  Forty-sixth  Psalm:  "God  is  our  refuge  and 
strength,  a  very  present  help  in  trouble;  therefore 
will  not  we  fear  though  the  earth  be  removed  and 
though  the  mountains  be  carried  into  the  midst  of 
the  sea." 

II.  We  note  another  effect  of  Isaiah's  vision  in  a  just 
apprehension  of  himself  and  of  his  normal  relation  to 
affairs.  "  Know  thyself"  is  a  wise  saying;  but  self- 
knowledge  comes  rather  from  the  upward  than  from 
the  inward  look.  It  always  accompanies  the  vision  of 
God. 

The  tendency  of  our  time  is  to  magnify  man  and 
minimize  God.  "There  is  a  generation,  oh,  how 
lofty  are  their  eyes  and  their  eyelids  are  lifted  up." 
We  have  lost  in  great  measure  the  reverence  for 
sacred  things.  We  make  no  scruple  of  intruding 
upon  the  divine  Oracles  or  of  suggesting  to  God  how 
he  might  better  have  addressed  us  ;  so  true  is  it 
that  "  fools  rush  in  where  angels  fear  to  tread."  We 
take  great  liberties  with  the  Holy  Name  and  with 
God's  Holy  Day.  We  have  schemes  of  our  own 
for  the  reformation  of  the  world.  We  discuss 
sociological  problems  with  a  grave  air  of  wisdom; 
as  if  the  whole  campaign  had  not  been  divinely 
marked  out  for  us  in  the  words,  "Go,  evan- 
gelize." We  thrust  God  aside,  usurp  his  preroga- 
tives and  assume  all  responsibility  for  the  man- 
agement of  affairs.  It  is  as  ^Esop  said :  the  fly  on 
the  chariot-wheel  claims  the  adulations  which  are 
offered  to  the  king  in  the  chariot.  It  is  to  be  feared 
that  our  arrogance  will  yield  to  nothing  but  a  voice 
from  the  throne  and  an  unveiling  of  the  ineffable  glory. 

Our  littleness  must  be  impressed  upon  us ;  and  how 


THE   BEATIFIC    VISION.  2$ 

better  than  by  a  just  comparison  of  ourselves  with 
God  ?  This  was  the  lesson  that  came  to  David  at  the 
summit  of  his  greatness,  when  he  climbed  the  winding 
stairway  to  his  housetop  and  looked  on  the  overarching 
dome :  ' '  When  I  consider  thy  heavens,  the  work  of  thy 
fingers,  what  is  man  that  thou  art  mindful  of  him? 
and  the  son  of  man,  that  thou  visitest  him?"  What 
are  we,  indeed,  that  God  should  take  us  into  the 
reckoning  at  all  ?  What  are  we  that  we  should  be 
permitted  to  participate  with  him  in  the  work  of  his 
kingdom  ?  I  am  one  of  some  hundreds  of  millions  of 
infinitesimals  who  inhabit  a  world  which  is  one  of  some 
hundreds  of  millions  of  worlds  floating  in  infinite  space. 
At  the  center  sits  God  upon  his  throne,  high  and  v 
lifted  up.  His  kingdom  is  over  all.  How  a  man 
dwindles  and  shrinks  in  the  comparison! 

"  Great  God,  how  infinite  art  Thou  ! 
What  worthless  worms  are  we! 
Let  the  whole  world  of  creatures  bow, 
And  pay  their  praise  to  Thee." 

But  there  is  another  solemn  consideration;  to  wit,\/ 
our  sinfulness.  Infinitely  inferior  to  God  by  nature, 
we  are  by  our  sins  immeasurably  farther  removed 
from  him.  It  was  meet  that  Isaiah,  in  view  of  the 
ineffable  glory,  should  cry,  "  Woe  is  me!  for  I  am 
undone;  because  I  am  a  man  of  unclean  lips,  and 
mine  eyes  have  seen  the  King!  "  He  spoke  of  his  lips  v 
particularly,  because  he  had  been  commissioned  as  a 
witness.  He  now  perceived  that  he  was  not  worthy 
to  even  name  God,  much  less  to  serve  him. 

He  was  appalled  by  the  cry,  '*Holy!  holy!  holy!" 
God  dwelleth  in  light  unapproachable.  The  heavens 
are  not  clean  in  his  sight.      He  is  of  purer  eyes  than 


24  THE    BEATIFIC    VISION. 

to  behold  iniquity.  Angels  and  arcxiangels  veil  their 
faces  before  him.  All  his  attributes  are  expressed  in 
Holiness,  as  all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow  are  com- 
bined in  the  white  solar  ray.  It  would  be  strange  if 
such  a  vision  did  not  throw  our  sins  into  bold  relief, 
if  it  did  not  wring  from  us  the  confession,  "Woe  is 
me  !  "  For  our  iniquities  have  separated  between  us 
and  our  God,  and  our  sins  have  hid  his  face  from  us. 

How,  under  such  circumstances,  can  we  address 
ourselves  to  our  appointed  tasks  ?  The  sense  of 
unfitness  overwhelms  us;  for  our  eyes  have  seen  the 
King.  Even  the  pagans  debar  the  unclean  from  the 
altars.  Procul^  procul  abeste,  profani  !  .^neas,  return- 
ing from  the  wars,  bade  his  aged  father  to  offer  the 
sacrifices;  "lam  unworthy,"  he  said;  "  my  hands 
are  defiled  with  blood." 

III.  The  vision  of  Isaiah  was  still  further  effective  in 
qualifying  hitn  for  service.  This  is  the  meaning  of  the 
living  coal.  "And  the  seraph  said,  Lo,  this  hath 
touched  thy  lips,  and  thine  iniquity  is  taken  away, 
and  thy  sin  purged.  And  I  heard  the  voice  of  the 
Lord,  saying.  Whom  shall  I  send,  and  who  will  go 
for  us  ?     Then  I  said.  Here  am  I;  send  me." 

The  living  coal  is  significant  of  cleansing  and 
quickening.  On  the  one  hand,  it  symbolizes  the 
power  of  the  blood  which  "  cleanseth  from  all  sin." 
On  the  other,  it  corresponds  to  those  lambent  tongues 
of  fire  which  rested  on  the  foreheads  of  the  apostles 
'|in  the  Pentecostal  miracle.  It  takes  both  the  cleans- 
ing  and  the  quickening  to  fit  a  man  for  service. 

He  who  has  seen  the  vision  and  felt  the  touch  of 
the  flaming  coal  is  prepared  for  service.  Saul  on  his 
way  to  Damascus  saw  a  great  light  and  heard  a  voice 


THE   BEATIFIC   VISION.  25 

saying,  "I  am  Jesus."  That  changed  the  whole  tenor 
of  his  life.  He  had  thought  he  was  doing  God's 
service  as  an  inquisitor;  but,  blinded  by  this  blazing 
light,  he  cried,  "Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have  me  to 
do  ? "  He  recognized  the  King  and  was  ready  for 
service  in  the  kingdom  ;  thenceforth  the  love  of  Christ 
constrained  him. 

But  what  is  all  this  to  us  ?  May  we  also  have  a 
vision  of  the  Glory?  Is  it  not  written,  "No  man 
hath  seen  God  at  any  time  ?"  How  indeed  can  a  man^ 
expect  to  look  on  the  midday  sun  with  undazzled 
eyes  ?  None  can  see  the  essential  God  and  live.  His 
servants  shall  see  his  face  hereafter,  but  surely  not 
with  fleshly  eyes. 

But  it  is  also  written,  "The  only-begotten  Son 
which  is  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father,  he  hath  declared 
him."  Christ  is  the  exegesis  of  God.  All  the  the- 
ophanies  of  the  Old  Testament  were  but  foregleams 
or  adumbrations  of  Christ.  The  Lord  with  whom  » 
Adam  walked  in  the  cool  of  the  day  in  Paradise  was 
none  other  than  Christ. — The  Lord  who  appeared 
to  Abraham  at  eventide,  giving  him  the  assurance  of 
the  covenant,  "In  thy  seed  shall  all  the  nations  of 
the  earth  be  blessed,"  was  likewise  Christ. — He 
it  was  who  wrestled  with  Jacob  at  Peniel  until  the 
break  of  day ! 

"  I  know  Thee,  Saviour,  who  Thou  art, 

Jesus,  the  feeble  sinner's  Friend; 
Nor  wilt  Thou  with  the  night  depart, 

But  stay  and  love  me  to  the  end. 
Thy  mercies  never  shall  remove. 
Thy  nature  and  Thy  name  is  Love." 

— It   was    Christ   who    appeared    to    Moses    hiding 


26  THE   BEATIFIC    VISION. 

in  the  cleft  of  the  rock,  revealing  himself  in  the 
rustle  of  his  garments  as  he  passed  by,  proclaiming 
himself  "The  Lord,  the  Lord  God,  merciful  and 
gracious."  —  It  was  Christ  who,  as  the  Angel  of 
the  Covenant,  went  before  the  children  of  Israel  in 
the  pillar  of  cloud  by  day  and  of  fire  by  night,  and 
who  spoke  to  them  out  of  the  mysterious  Shekinah 
hovering  above  the  golden  cover  of  the  ark. — It 
was  Christ  who  appeared  to  Ezekiel  in  the  Valley  of 
Dry  Bones,  saying,  "Come  from  the  four  winds,  O 
Breath,  and  breathe  upon  these  bones  and  they  shall 
live?"  —  It  was  Christ  who  appeared  to  Gideon 
as  he  threshed  wheat  by  the  winepress,  saying,  "The 
Lord  is  with  thee,  thou  mighty  man  of  valor.  Go 
in  this  thy  might  and  save  Israel;  have  not  I  sent 
thee  ? " 

We  are  justified  in  saying  that  God  makes  no 
sufficient  revelation  of  himself  to  mortal  man  except 
in  the  beauty  of  the  face  of  his  beloved  Son.  Philip 
said  to  Jesus,  "Show  us  the  Father  and  it  sufficeth 
us?"  The  Master  replied,  "Have  I  been  so  long 
time  with  you,  and  yet  hast  thou  not  known  me, 
Philip?  He  that  hath  seen  me  hath  seen  the  Father; 
and  how  sayest  thou  then.  Show  us  the  Father  ? 
Believest  thou  not  that  I  am  in  the  Father  and  the 
Father  in  me  ?  " 

This  is  life  eternal,  to  know  God  and  to  know  him 
in  Jesus  Christ  whom  he  hath  sent.  We  seek  no 
higher  vision.  We  can  have  no  greater  uplift  than 
thus  to  behold  him.  God's  throne  is  on  Calvary  for 
us;  to  behold  him  there,  in  his  supreme  work  of  self- 
denial  for  his  sinful  creatures,  is  to  enter  into  life.  /It 
was  such  an  experience  as  this  that  brought   John 


THE   BEATIFIC   VISION.  27 

Newton  to  his  better  self.  He  had  spent  his  energies 
in  riotous  living,  giving  free  course  to  all  his  baser 
passions,  until  at  length,  with  the  roar  of  a  mighty- 
tempest  about  him,  he  knelt  in  the  hold  of  a  pirate- 
ship  and  cried  aloud  for  mercy.     Here  is  the  record: 

"  In  evil  long  I  took  delight, 
Unawed  by  shame  or  fear, 
Till  a  new  object  struck  my  sight 
And  stopped  my  wild  career." 

The  "new  object,"  by  which  his  character  was 
transformed,  was  a  vision  of  Jesus  on  the  cross. 

"  I  saw  one  hanging  on  a  tree 
In  agonies  and  blood, 
Who  fixed  his  languid  eyes  on  me 
As  near  his  cross  I  stood. 

Sure  never  to  my  latest  breath 

Can  I  forget  that  look; 
It  seemed  to  charge  me  with  his  death 

Though  not  a  word  he  spoke. 

Alas  !  I  knew  not  what  I  did, 

My  tears  were  all  in  vain  ; 
Where  should  my  trembling  soul  be  hid 

For  I  my  Lord  had  slain?" 

He  was  in  despair;  he  moaned  like  Jonah  in  the 
belly  of  hell;  he  felt  the  awful  abandonment  of  outer 
darkness  in  a  profound  conviction  of  sin.  The  holy- 
God  had'  appeared  to  him,  and  he  lay  as  one  dead. 
Then  the  seraph  came  with  the  living  coal  and 
touched  his  lips. 

"  A  second  look  he  gave,  which  said, 
*  I  freely  all  forgive  ; 
This  blood  is  for  thy  ransom  paid, 
I  die  that  thou  mayest  live  !'  " 


28  THE    BEATIFIC    VISION. 

A  similar  vision  is  possible  to  every  man.  It  is  the 
look  toward  Calvary  that  reveals  God  in  his  truth 
and  holiness,  his  justice  and  love.  This  is  the  vision 
that  casts  us  down  and  lifts  us  up  again,  that  convicts 
and  converts,  that  reveals  our  unworthiness  and 
endues  us  with  supernatural  power  for  service.  This 
is  the  vision  that  opens  the  door  of  spiritual  life. 

I  have  been  reading  a  remarkable  book,  called 
"The  Ten  Theophanies,"  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Baker  of 
Georgia.  His  name  is  not  unfamiliar  in  the  annals  of 
lighter  literature.  As  his  life  was  wearing  to  its 
close,  he  felt  a  consuming  desire  to  publish,  for  the 
benefit  of  thoughtful  people,  his  view  of  the  Unveil- 
ings  of  God.  The  book,  written  with  a  hand  growing 
feebler  and  feebler,  was  finished  in  full  view  of 
heaven.  This  is  its  conclusion  :  "  Try  to  bring  nome 
to  yourself,  if  you  can,  that  this  Friend — God  yet 
man,  man  yet  God — is  as  near  to  you  this  hour  as  he 
was  to  Adam  in  Eden,  as  lovingly  near  in  the  un- 
limited prime,  plentitude  and  power  of  his  everlasting 
youth.  He  who  tries  to  write  these  lines  cannot  see 
them  for  happy  tears;  he  trembles  unable  to  contain, 
yet  wholly  unable  to  express  the  thought — Immanuel, 
God  with  us!  Only  the  large  language  used  by  the 
saints  in  light  may  express  that  consciousness  of  an 
ever-present  Lord,  which  ceases  at  last  to  be  a  mere 
belief,  and  striking  as  into  the  very  arteries  and  veins, 
the  bone  and  brain,  becomes  part  of  the  circulation 
and  constitution  of  the  believer! — And  now,  awaiting 
the  appearing  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  to  '  *  the  Blessed 
andOnly  Potentate,  theKing  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords, 
who  only  hath  Immortality,  dwelling  in  the  Light 
which  no  man  can  approach  unto,  whom  no  man  hath 


THE    BEATIFIC    VISION.  29 

seen,  nor  can  see;  to  Him  be  Honor  and  Power  Ever- 
lasting!  "  The  labor  of  life  was  finished;  the  pen 
dropped  from  the  tremulous  fingers;  anew  theophany 
burst  upon  the  writer's  soul.  He  was  in  the  presence 
of  the  beatific  Vision;  at  home  with  God! 


^ 


WHAT  WE  KNOW  ABOUT  HEAVEN 

"  After  this  I  looked,  and,  behold,  a  door  was  opened  in  heaven :  and  the 
first  voice  which  I  heard  was  as  it  were  of  a  trumpet  talking  with  me  ;  which 
said,  Come  up  hither  and  I  will  show  thee  things  which  must  be  hereafter.  And 
immediately  I  was  in  the  Spirit :  and,  behold,  .    .  ."—Rev.  4,  i,  2. 

All  that  we  surely  know  of  the  life  beyond  the 
grave  is  by  revelation ;  and  even  this  leaves  much 
unsolved.  An  impenetrable  veil  hangs  before  the 
Holiest  of  All.  "  Eye  hath  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard, 
neither  have  entered  in  the  heart  of  man  the  things 
which  God  hath  prepared  for  them  that  love  him." 

Let  us  be  thankful,  therefore,  for  the  opening  of 
this  window  into  heaven.  It  cheered  the  soul  of  tte  '^''  V'^ 
dr^am^r-nn  Patmos;  it  has  been  a  source  of  unspeak- 
able comfort  to  pilgrims  ever  since;  for  the  window 
which  was  opened  to  John  was  left  open  for  us.  "  He 
that  sat  upon  the  throne  said.  Write;  for  these  words 
are  true  and  faithful."  The  visions  of  the  Apocalypse 
were  accordingly  placed  on  record ;  so  that  all  who 
believe  the  Scriptures  are  enabled  to  say.  Thus  far 
we  know. 

It  is  vain  to  speculate  about  the  unseen  world:  it 
is  worse  than  vain  to  pry  into  the   state  secrets  of      '' 
Jehovah.     We  may  speak  with  assurance  only  so  far 
as  we  have  a   "sure  word  of   prophecy."     Let  us, 
therefore,  to  the  Law  and  the  Testimony.     What  are        s^^ 
the  facts  revealed  to  us  concerning  heaven  ?  '"-'     ) 

4f.  It-f^-u  j^Jnr^-y ^-definit^  locality.     To   say    that 
"^  (30) 


WHAT.  WE    KNOW    ABOUT    HEAVEN.  3 1 

heaven  is  a  moral  state  or  character  is  meaningless. 
There  is  no  such  thing  as  abstract  character.  The 
beginnings  of  the  kingdom  are  indeed  "  within  you  "; 
but  patriotism  is  a  barren  ideality  except  as  it  sug- 
gests a  country  to  dwell  in.  We  localize  heaven  by 
intuition;  ask  a  child  where  it  is  and  he  will  point 
upward;  since  all  better  things,  the  sunlight,  air  and 
morning  dews,  come  down  from  above.  It  means 
simply  that  heaven  is  a  better  place  than  earth.  There 
were  some  among  the  fathers  who  believed  that 
heaven  was  probalSTylh  Alcy(Tne"T7f"the-P^leiades,  that 
being^'regard'ed~as' the  central  star  of  the  universal 
system.  All  this  is-eonjectUTe';  the  most  that  we  can 
say  being  that  heaven  is  somewhere,  though  we  are 
unable  to  point  towards  it  with  certainty. 

The  terms  which  are  used  in  Scripture  to  charac- 
terize heaven  are  such  as  point  to  definite  locality. 
It  is  spoken  of  as  a  house  :  "  In  my  Father's  house  are 
many  mansions";  as  a  paradise,  a  garden,  "where 
grow  such  sweet  and  pleasant  flowers  as  nowhere  else 
are  seen  " ;  as  a  city  "  which  hath  foundations,  whose 
builder  and  maker  is  God";  as  a  country  where 
"  sweet  fields  beyond  the  swelling  flood  stand  dressed 
in  living  green."  Not  more^  real  was  Palestine  to 
Moses,  when  from  the  top  of  Pisgah  he  looked  upon 
its  fertile  valleys  and  green  mountain-slopes,  than  is 
the  heaven  that  awaits  us  in  the  hereafter. 

-If:  //  is  a  place  of  iiifijiite  beauty.  "And  the  city 
had  twelve  gates ;  every  several  gate  was  of  one  pearl ; 
and  the  street  of  the  city  was  pure  gold,  as  it  were 
transparent  glass.  Its  foundations  were  garnished 
with  all  manner  of  precious  stones:  jasper  and  sap- 
phire;  chalcedony  and  emerald;    sardonyx,  sardius 


32  WHAT    WE    KNOW    ABOUT    HEAVEN. 

and  chrysolite;  beryl,  topaz,  chrysoprasus,  jacinth 
and  amethyst."  A  friend  tells  me  that  on  a  recent 
visit  to  the  studio  of  one  of  our  most  distinguished 
American  artists  he  found  him,  with  a  Bible  open 
before  him,  engaged  in  arranging  squares  of  colored 
glass.  "  I  have  made  a  singular  discovery,"  he  said ; 
"these  are  the  precious  stones  in  the  foundation  of 
the  New  Jerusalem,  and  when  placed  in  the  order 
described  in  the  vision  they  form  a  perfect  harmony 
of  color.  Were  a  convention  of  artists  called  to  pro- 
duce a  perfect  color-scheme,  they  could  not  improve 
upon  it." 

It  need  scarcely  be  said  that  the  figures  of  the 
Apocalypse  are  not  to  be  taken  literally.  In  these 
exuberant  metaphors  the  utmost  strain  is  put  upon 
the  possibilities  of  human  language  to  convey  the 
thought  of  surpassing  splendor.  The  very  name  of 
the  city,  "  The  New  Jerusalem,"  is  suggestive;  since 
Jerusalem  was  "beautiful  for  situation,  the  joy  of 
the  whole  earth."     The  Christian  sings: 

O  mother  dear,  Jerusalem, 
When  shall  I  come  to  thee? 

When  shall  my  sorrows  have  an  end  ? 
Thy  joys  when  shall  I  see? 

Thy  walls  are  made  of  precious  stone, 
Thy  bulwarks  diamond-square. 

Thy  gates  are  all  of  orient  pearl: 
O  God,  if  I  were  there! 

Wt.  Jt  is  a  holy  place.  Its  beauty  is  distinctively 
"the  beauty  of  holiness."  On  its  throne  sits  the 
ineffable  God,  in  whose  sight  the  heavens  are  un- 
clean, and  before  whom  angels  and  archangels  veil 
their  faces.  The  arches  of  the  city  ring  with  the 
song,  "Holy,  holy,  holy  is  the  Lord  of  Hosts!"     A 


WHAT    WE     KNOW    ABOUT    HEAVEN.  33 

glimpse  toward  this  exceeding  glory  moved  Isaiah  to 
cry,  "Woe  is  me  !  for  I  am  a  man  of  unclean  lips, 
and  mine  eyes  have  seen  the  King!  "  All  unholiness 
is  of  necessity  shut  out,  for  "  without  holiness  no 
man  shall  see  the  Lord."  ^-^-^  '^-^'-^  ^O 
--'fjh'  '  ^^  JtTT-a  //igiTf  ■/"«//  of-simters  ■  ^aved-iy-gxa^^^ —  '  *  I 
beheld,  and,  lo,  a  great  multitude,  which  no  man 
could  number,  stood  before  the  throne  and  before 
the  Lamb,  clothed  with  white  robes  and  with  palms 
in  their  hands,  and  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying. 
Salvation  to  our  God!  And  one  of  the  elders  said 
unto  me,  '  What  are  these  which  are  arrayed  in  white 
robes,  and  whence  came  they  ? '  And  I  said  unto 
him,  '  Sir,  thou  knowest.  *  And  he  said,  'These  are 
they  which  came  out  of  great  tribulation,  and  have 
washed  their  robes,  and  made  them  white  in  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb.'"  Of  all  that  multitude  not  one 
has  earned  his  place  by  personal  merit,  but  all  come 
thither  through  the  cleansing  of  the  blood  and  the 
imputation  of  the  righteousness  of  Christ.  Off  with 
the  rags  of  self-righteousness,  and  on  with  the  wed- 
ding robe  of  fine  linen  clean  and  white  !  "  Jesus,  thy 
blood  and  righteousness  my  beauty  are,  my  glorious 
dress."  All  who  enter  there  are  written  in  the  Lamb's 
Book  of  Life;  sinners  all  and  saved  by  grace.  Abra- 
ham is  there,  who  saw  Christ  afar  off;  Isaiah  is  there, 
his  lips  purged  by  the  living  coal;  Peter  is  there, 
restored  to  favor  by  his  Saviour's  look;  the  Magda- 
lene is  there,  and  the  penitent  thief;  all  washed  in" 
the-fountain-'fTlfed~wJih~biood.  The  song  of  heaven 
has  in  it  naught  of  self-adulation.  The  eyes  of  the 
adoring  multitude  are  all  turned  toward  the  Lamb 
for  sinners  slain;  and  they  sing,  "  Worthy  art  thou  to 


34  WHAT    WE     KNOW    ABOUT     HEAVEN. 

receive  power  and  riches  and  strength,  honor  and 
glory  and  blessing;  for  thou  wast  slain  and  hast 
redeemed  us  by  thy  blood  and  hast  made  us  kings 
and  priests  unto  our  God. '!      ,^.„^  ...^  .^^    -    ,.  -     >•-•   ^i'^  . 

^.  It  is  a^ populous  placet, "'  To  the  man  who  asked 
of  Jesus,  "  Are  there  few  that  be  saved?  "  he  made 
no  immediate  reply,  declining  to  pay  tribute  to  mere 
curiosity;  but  only  said,  "Strive  to  enter  in."  The 
question  however  is  answered  elsewhere  and  abun- 
dantly in  Scripture.  **  I  beheld  a  great  multitude," 
says  John,  "  whom  no  man  could  number,  out  of 
every  nation  and  kindred  and  people  and  tribe;" 
and  again,  ''they  shall  come  from  the  east  and  from 
the  west,  from  the  north  and  from  the  south,  and 
shall  sit  down  in  the  kingdom  of  God."  One-half  of 
the  entire  population  of  our  globe  dies  before  reach- 
ing the  age  of  maturity;  and  of  children  Christ  said, 
"In  heaven  their  angels  do  always  behold  the  face 
of  my  Father."'  The  promise  made  to  Messiah  was 
that  his  seed  should  be  "as  the  stars  of  heaven." 
The  number  of  those  who,  through  the  centuries, 
have  espoused  the  religion  of  Christ  is  an  ever- 
increasing  multitude,  so  that  there  are  now  on  earth 
some  hundreds  of  millions  of  people  who  call  them- 
selves after  his  name.  The  twelve  gates  of  the  New 
Jerusalem,  open  continually,  are  thronged  with  new- 
comers who,  as  they  cross  the  threshold,  break  into 
singing,  "  Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  was  slain!  " 
VI,  M'^'n^bfe'syptitce.  Let  us  not  think  of  heaven 
^j  ,u-*^ias  an  ieiy^Hfn  of  indolence,  where  angels  and  saints 
triumphant  sit  upon  clouds  with  golden  harps  in 
their  hands,  having  no  occupation  but  sacred  song. 
God  has  indeed  prepared  a  rest  for  his  people;  but  q4 


WHAT  WE  KNOW  ABOUT  HEAVEN.        35 

"rest  is  not  quitting   the  busy  career;    rest  is  the 
fitting  of  self  to  its  sphere. "  ^y^^^:  ^^^-^^^  „...      ^^ 

Wheir  Adam-'^was- ptacet3'~4T»'^-JCariajdiGe ^  hr^^was 
oj!dere4-t©'-^-H±re§s~aiTd"~fe:e'ep~it."  Labor  *s  a  blessing^A-^- 
a  delight.  The  unhappiest  of  mortals  is  he  who  has 
nothing  to  do.  It  is  sin  that  has  robbed  labor  of  its 
joy.  Out  of  the  curse  came  the  edict,  ''  In  the 
sweat  of  thy  face  shalt  thou  eat  bread."  In  heaven 
there  will  be  no  drudgery;  no  tired  eyes,  no  aching 
back,  no  weary  limbs.  We  shall  work  without  worry. 
There  will  be  no  discomfort  in  toil,  no  burdens  beyond 
our  strength,  no  anxiety  about  keeping  the  wolf  from 
the  door 

It  would  be  a  pleasing  exercise  of  the  imagina- 
tion to  describe  the  tasks  of  the  redeemed  in  travers- 
ing the  fields  of  infinite  space,  from  world  to  world, 
with  energies  incalculably  increased,  and  unhampered 
by  human  limitations.  But  we  may  not  venture  into 
such  conjecture;  let  it  suffice  to  say  that  great  enter- 
prises await  us  in  that  larger  sphere  of  action.  It  is 
written,  "His  servants  shall  serve  him."  Here  we 
try  and  fail,  and  at  evening  fall  upon  our  knees  to 
lament  our  shortcomings:  but  there  we  shall  ever 
do  our  best  and  utmost;  and  our  wage  will  be  the 
Master's  word,  "Well  done." 

The  tasks  assigned  us  will  be  according  to  our 
capacity.'  Our  faithfulness  in  present  service  will  be 
the  measure  of  our  future  peagaUatien.  Our  good 
works,  while  they  cannot  earn  an  entrance  into 
heaven,  will  determine  our  stasdirrg" there.  All  loyal  -^-^ 
ser-vice  in  this  present  life  is  preparation  for  useful- 
ness hereafter.  This  is  the  meaning  of  the  Parable 
of  the  Pounds.     To  the  servant  whose  one  pound 


36  WHAT    WE     KNOW    ABOUT     HEAVEN. 

had  gained  him  ten  the  Lord  said,  "Well  done, 
good  servant;  because  thou  hast  been  faithful  in  a 
very  little,  have  thou  authority  over  ten  cities";  and 
to  another  whose  one  pound  had  gained  him  five  he 
said,  '*  Be  thou  also  over  five  cities."  And  by  this 
thought  we  are  stimulated  to  present  effort.  For 
every  truth  we  grasp  here  and  now  helps  us  on  to 
richer  acquisitions  of  knowledge;  every  duty  we  dis-  n^ 
charge  fits  us  for  p«««»eti«ii''tO'  larger  tasks,  j  ^'UP  ■"'■fiM  ^ 

VII.  It  is  a  neighborly  place.  The  children  sing, 
"There  is  a  happy  land  far,  far  away."  We  may 
indeed  be  far  from  the  redeemed,  but  they  are  very 
near  to  us,  since  they  are  no  longer  subject  to  the 
limitations  of  space.  We  are  assured  that  the  hosts 
of  heaven  know  what  is  happening  on  earth  and  take 
a  sympathetic  interest  in  our  welfare.  The  visitation 
of  angels  was  a  frequent  occurrence  under  the  Old  t-'^ 
JCfM/'  tCDnomy^  and  if  now  such  visits  are  few  and  far 
between,  it  is  because  the  clear  revelation  of  the 
divine  will  in  the  completed  Scriptures  has  superseded 
them.  It  is  certain  that  Moses  and  Elias  knew  what 
was  occurring  on  earth,  else  how  could  they  have 
come  to  the  Mount  of  Transfiguration  to  converse 
with  Christ  as  to  "the  decease  which  he  was  pres- 
ently to  accomplish  at  Jerusalem "  ?  One  of  them 
had  been  dead  fifteen  hundred  and  the  other  a  thou- 
sand years,  yet  they  were  profoundly  concerned  in 
his  atoning  work.  During  the  bitter  hours  of  the 
Crucifixion  there  were  legions  of  angels  hovering 
near.  They  came  to  roll  away  the  stone  from  Christ's 
sepulcher;  and  at  his  ascension  they  thronged  his 
chariot-wheels  to  bear  him  aloft  to  his  throne. 

It  is  pleasant  to  reflect  that  our  friends  translated 


WHAT    WE    KNOW    ABOUT    HEAVEN.  37 

to  glory  are  not  unmindful  of  us.  "  Are  they  not  all 
ministering  spirits  sent  forth  to  minister  unto  them 
which  ar^^heirs  of  salvation?"  We  cannot,  indeed, 
communicate  with  them,  but  there  is  abundant  rea- 
son to  believe  that  they  are  permitted  to  minister  to 
us.  We  are  so  afraid  of  the  puerile  follies  of  "  Spirit- 
ualism," that  we  have  gone  to  the  other  extreme  and 
almost  abandoned  the  sweet  doctrine  of  guardian 
angels.  It  is  an  unspeakable  comfort  to  the  bereaved 
to  feel  assured  that  their  friends  who  have  crossed 
over  to  the  better  country  are  not  regardless  of  their 
griefs  and  strivings,  and  that  they  are  permitted  to 
help  in  ways  unknown  to  us.  \  ^u-j  '<.<.x.'^ 
^_  '^j'jlS.  'ft-'fT'Zr'humdike-pktee:  The  Lord  said,  "  In 
my  Father's  house  are  many  mansions;  if  it  were  not 
so,  I  would  have  told  you."  He  would  have  said 
"home,"  but  unfortunately  there  was  no  word  for 
home  in  the  Greek  or  Aramaic  tongue. 

What  makes  a  home  ?  Not  beautiful  furnishings 
and  adornments,  but  friends  and  kinsfolk.  Home 
would  be  a  dreary  place  were  it  not  for  the  inter- 
change of  love.  All  the  songs  and  hallelujahs  of 
heaven  could  not  satisfy  our  longings  if  we  were  not 
to  know  each  other  there. 

In  one  of  the  masterpieces  of  German  art  the 
heavens  are  covered  with  clouds,  which,  on  closer 
view,  resolve  themselves  into  faces.  This  is  a  true 
parable;  there  are  many  familiar  faces  in  the  heavens 
above  us.  Those  who  have  gone  before  keep  their  iden- 
tity and  memory  is  unimpaired.  Death  does  not  dis- 
rupt the  soul.  Wherefore,  we  do  not  sorrow  as  others 
that  are  without  hope.  Tlaere  is  a  day  coming  when 
we  shall  clasp  hands  with  those  from   whom   death 


38  WHAT   WE    KNOW   ABOUT    HEAVEN. 

has  briefly  parted  us.  "If  we  believe  that  Jesus 
died  and  rose  again,  even  so  them  also  which  sleep 
in  Jesus  will  God  bring  with  him."  O  blessed  day, 
when  we  shall  meet  our  beloved  in  the  general 
assembly  of  the  firstborn!  The  Scriptures  permit 
no  doubt;  they  answer  to  the  longing  of  our  hearts. 
The  words  of  Charles  Kingsley  commend  themselves 
to  our  common  sense:  "All  I  can  say  is,  if  I  do  not 
love  my  wife  in  heaven  as  well  as  I  do  here,  then  is 
there  neither  resurrection  of  my  body  nor  of  my  soul 
but  of  some  other,  and  I  shall  not  be  I."  .---  ■  t.  (^^ 

^        '^l^^  It  is  a  happy  pim^e.      There  shall   be   no  sin  '' 

there.  All  the  misery  of  this  world  comes  from  sin. 
No  swords  would  be  crossed  in  battle  were  it  not  for 
sin.  There  would  be  no  desolate  homes,  no  break- 
ing hearts,  were  it  not  for  sin.  But  sin  shall  have 
no  place  in  heaven.  And  there  shall  be  no  night 
there,  nor  gathering  of  shadows.  And  there  shall  be 
no  more  sea;  no  restless  tossing  of  the  soul  in  long- 
ing for  "the  tender  grace  of  a  day  that  is  dead." 
And  there  shall  be  no  death  there;  no  weeping  at 
bedsides,  -no-erape-trnthe-door,  no  hearse  rumbling 
through  the  streets.  And  there  shall  be  no  tears. 
"  They  shall  hunger  no  more,  neither  thirst  any 
more;  for  the  Lamb  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the 
throne  shall  feed  them  and  shall  lead  them  unto 
fountains  of  living  waters;  and  God  shall  wipe  away 
all  tears  from  their  eyes." 

The  happiness  of  heaven  is  set  forth  under  the 
figure  of  a  great  banquet;  "  the  marriage  supper  of 
the  Lamb."  The  redeemed  shall  sit  down  at  the 
table  with  him.  And  there  will  be  music  and  merry- 
making.    It  is  written,  "In  thy  presence  is  fulness 


WHAT    WE     KNOW    ABOUT    HEAVEN.  39 

of  joy,  and  at  thy  right  hand  there  are  pleasures  for- 
evermore."  ^^^  ^./^,,^.    v 

^  _  Xi  //  is  •GftH^Tuwrffimx.  All  the  glory  of  heaven 
centers  in  him.  "And  I  saw  no  temple  therein;  for 
the  Lord  God  Almighty  and  the  Lamb  are  the  temple 
of  it.  And  the  city  had  no  need  of' the  sun  neither  of 
the  moon  to  shine  in  it;  for  the  glory  of  God  did 
lighten  it,  and  the  Lamb  is  the  light  thereof."  He 
sits  upon  a  throne  high  and  lifted  up,  having  upon 
his  vesture  and  his  thigh  a  name  written,  "  King  of 
kings  and  Lord  of  lords."  And  he  is  the  very  Christ 
who  walked  among  men,  the  same  yesterday,  to-day 
and  forever.  "And  I  beheld  and,  lo,  in  the  midst  of 
the  throne  a  Lamb  as  it  had  been  slain."  This  means 
that  he  retains  the  marks  of  his  great  sacrifice.  The 
redeemed  will  know  him  by  these  stigmata.  "And 
one  shall  say  to  him.  What  are  these  wounds  in  thy 
hands  ?  Then  shall  he  say  unto  them.  Those  with 
which  I  was  wounded  in  the  house  of  my  friends." 
We  shall  behold  him  face  to  face;  and  we  shall  be 
like  him,  for  we  shall  see  him  as  he  is.  His  sacra- 
mental prayer  will  be  fully  answered:  "Father,  I 
will  that  they  whom  thou  hast  given  me  may  be  with 
me  where  I  am,  that  they  may  behold  my  glory,  the 
glory  which  I  had  with  thee  before  the  world  was." 

T)  I  -^  ^irIf"iT'~anr  eftmal-^iai^.  "And  they  shall  go 
out  no  more  forever."  The  disciples  who  caught  a 
momentary  glimpse  of  Christ's  glory  on  the  Mount  of 
Transfiguration  said,  "Lord,  let  us  make  here  three 
tabernacles."  They  longed  to  abide  in  his  beatific 
presence;  but  this  could  not  be.  The  glory  vanished 
and  the  sweet  communion  was  broken  up.  The 
record  of  the  last  interview  of  Jesus  with  his  disciples 


4©        WHAT  WE  KNOW  ABOUT  HEAVEN. 

closes  with  the  words,  "  Arise,  let  us  go  hence."  All 
the  meetings  of  earth  close  in  like  manner.  On  the 
seashore  at  Miletus  the  elders  of  Ephesus  met  Paul  in 
brief  converse,  then  watched  the  ship  that  carried 
him  out  of  their  sight,  and  "wept  because  they 
should  see  his  face  no  more."  But  there  will  be  no 
farewells  in  heaven.  Our  inheritance  there  is  incor- 
ruptible and  undefiled  and  fadeth  not  away.  The 
names  that  are  written  in  the  Book  of  Life  shall  never 
be  blotted  out. 

"  'Forever  with  the  Lord!' 
Amen,  so  let  it  be! 
Life  from  the  dead  is  in  that  word; 
'Tis  immortality." 

fy^-^--6:i^3aL=afifefe^^  The  way  ts  pointed 

— ■^"^...out.  The  Italians  have  a  proverb,  "All  roads  lead 
to  Rome  " ;  but  there  is  one  road  only  that  leads  to 
heaven.  Isaiah  spoke  of  it:  "  An  highway  shall  be 
there  and  a  way,  and  it  shall  be  called  The  Way  of 
Holiness;  the  wayfaring  man  though  a  fool  shall  not 
err  therein."  And  Christ  spoke  of  it:  "Thomas 
saith,  '  Lord,  we  know  not  whither  thou  goest  and 
how  can  we  know  the  way?'  And  Jesus  answered, 
*  I  am  the  way  and  the  truth  and  the  life ;  no  man 
Cometh  unto  the  Father  but  by  me.'  "  It  is  the  old 
way,  the  plain  way,  the  royal  way  of  the  cross;  all 
others  are  vain  and  misleading.  "There  is  away 
which  seemeth  right  unto  a  man,  but  the  end  thereof 
is  death."  Let  us  make  no  mistake.  "He — and  he 
only — that  believeth  in  the  Son  hath  everlasting  life. " 
The  question  of  supreme  importance  for  everyone 
is  this,  "Am  I  in  that  way  ?  "  The  beginning  of  a 
journey  is   in  taking  the   first  step.     The   first  step 


WHAT    WE    KNOW    ABOUT     HEAVEN.  4I 

heavenward  is  in  accepting  Christ  as  the  Saviour. 
That  done,  we  may  read  our  title  clear  to  mansions 
in  the  skies. 

As  Christian  in  the  Pilgrim's  Progress  drew  near 
to  the  Heavenly  City,  he  saw  the  gates  opened  to 
receive  others.  "I  looked  in  after  them,"  he  says, 
*'  and,  behold,  the  city  shone  like  the  sun;  the  streets 
also  were  paved  with  gold,  and  in  them  walked  many 
who  had  crowns  on  their  heads  and  palms  in  their 
hands  and  golden  harps  to  sing  praises  withal.  There 
were  also  some  that  had  wings,  and  they  answered 
one  another  without  intermission,  saying,  '  Holy, 
holy,  holy  is  the  Lord!  '  And  after  that  they  shut  up 
the  gates;  which,  when  I  had  seen,  /  wished  myself 
among  them.''  If  you  also,  my  friend,  wish  to  be 
among  them,  take  the  hand  of  the  Lord  of  Salvation 
and  let  him  lead  you  on  through  the  duties  and 
responsibilities  of  life,  and  up  the  steeps  and  over 
the  rough  places,  and  at  last  through  the  gates  into 
the  city. 


"WHAT  WOULD  JESUS  DO?" 

What  is  written  in  the  law?    How  readest  thou?" — Luke  lo,  26. 

Our  Lord  was  preaching  in  Jerusalem  at  the  Feast 
of  Dedication  when  a  certain  lawyer  "stood  up  and 
tempted  him  (that  is,  endeavored  to  entrap  him), 
saying,  Master,  what  shall  I  do  to  inherit  eternal 
life?"  The  lawyers  of  that  time  were  biblical 
experts,  and  this  query  was  one  of  their  familiar 
catch-questions.  Christ's  answer  was  instant  and 
conclusive,  "What  is  written  in  the  law  ?  How  read- 
est thou  ?  "  In  all  likelihood  he  pointed,  as  he  spoke, 
to  the  phylactery  on  the  questioner's  forearm  or  fore- 
head, in  which  was  written  the  compendium  of  the 
law.  And  Jesus  said,  "This  do,  and  thou  shalt 
live;"  that  is,  the  sum  total  of  duty  is  to  keep  the 
Law. 

I  do  not  propose  to  inquire  here  as  to  the  possi- 
bility of  perfect  obedience.  The  cross  is  God's 
solution  of  that  problem.  But  the  important  point 
is  this,  and  it  forms  the  proposition  of  my  discourse: 
The  Moral  Law  as  set  forth  in  the  Scriptures  is  the  fun- 
damental and  perpetual  standard  of  personal  conduct  for  all 
the  children  of  men. 

A  book  has  recently  been  published,  entitled  "In 
His  Steps,"    which    has    met   with   an    unparalleled 

(42) 


**  WHAT   WOULD   JESUS  DO  ?  "  43 

circulation  throughout  the  Christian  world.  The  story 
runs  on  this  wise  :  A  pastor,  Henry  Maxwell,  created 
a  profound  sensation  in  his  parish  by  gathering  cer 
tain  of  his  congregation  about  him  and  pledging  them 
to  determine  all  of  their  conduct  by  this  standard : 
^  "What  would  Jesus  do  ? "  One  of  the  parties  to  this 
convenant  was  a  merchant,  who,  in  the  application  of 
this  rule,  proceeded  to  place  himself  in  right  relations 
with  his  patrons  and  employees.  Another  was  a  choir- 
singer,  who  declined  an  engagement  with  a  theatrical 
troupe  and  an  eligible  offer  of  marriage  in  pursuance 
of  what  she  deemed  to  be  "the  probable  action  of 
Jesus."  Still  another  was  the  editor  of  a  daily  news- 
paper, who  stopped  his  Sunday  issue,  cut  off  all 
objectionable  advertisements  and  renounced  political 
partisanship  for  a  like  reason.  And  still  another  was 
a  young  heiress  of  the  parish  who  gave  up  her  luxu- 
rious habits,  devoted  half  her  fortune  to  the  endow- 
ment of  the  moral  newspaper  and  the  remainder  to 
the  founding  of  social  settlements  and  similar  plans 
for  the  betterment  of  the  condition  of  the  poor.  The 
pastor  himself  abandoned  his  usual  method  of  pulpit 
ministration,  devoted  his  energies  to  the  denunciation 
of  municipal  evils  such  as  the  saloon  and  bad  politics, 
addressed  himself  to  the  solution  of  sociological 
problems,  and  ended  by  resigning  his  pastorate  and 
going  down  to  live  in  the  slums  and  labor  in  behalf 
of  the  poor  and  degraded.  It  need  scarcely  be  said 
that  this  mode  of  procedure  created  a  great  sensation 
and  ultimately  turned  the  city  upside  down,  or  rather, 
let  us  say,  right  side  up.  If  realized,  it  must  indeed 
always  and  everywhere  have  similar  results  in  the 
necessity  of  the  case. 


44  *'WHAT    WOULD    JESUS   DO?" 

I  desire  to  emphasize,  with  all  possible  urgency, 
what  seems  to  be  the  main  purpose  of  this  book; 
namely,  the  Duty  of  Imitating  Christ,  or  "following 
in  his  steps."  At  the  same  time  it  should  be  pointed 
out  that  this  of  itself  is  a  partial  and  inadequate 
statement  of  "  the  whole  duty  of  man." 

First :  the  Scriptures  go  further.  Do  not  they  say, 
then,  that  we  are  to  imitate  Christ  ?  Yes.  "  For 
hereunto  are  ye  called,  because  Christ  also  suffered 
for  you,  leaving  you  an  example  that  ye  should  fol- 
low in  his  steps."  And  again,  "He  that  saith  he 
abideth  in  him  ought  himself  also  so  to  walk,  even 
as  he  walked."  And  again,  "  If  any  man  will  come 
after  me,  let  him  deny  himself  and  take  up  his  cross 
daily,  and  follow  me."  But  the  question  is  one  of 
emphasis,  or  of  the  relative  importance  of  things. 
There  is  not  a  word  in  the  teachings  of  Jesus  or  in 
Scripture  to  contravene  this  proposition :  that  the 
standard  by  which  every  Christian  life  is  to  be  regulated  in 
general  and  in  particular  is  the  Moral  Law.  When  the 
lawyer  asked  of  Jesus  what  he  should  do  that  he 
might  inherit  eternal  life,  the  Master  referred  him  to 
that  statement:  and  in  this  he  was  consistent  with  all 
his  teaching  and  with  the  entire  trend  of  the  word 
of  God. 

In  the  Scriptures  are  two  great  ethical  symbols, 
in  which  is  embodied  our  whole  duty.  One  of  these 
is  the  Decalogue,  which  was  written  on  tables  of 
stone  to  indicate  that  it  was  to  be  of  perpetual  force. 
How  could  it  be  otherwise,  since  by  common  consent 
the  Moral  Law,  as  contained  in  the  Ten  Command- 
ments, was  interwoven  with  the  brain  and  sinew  of 
the  human  constitution  before  it  was  inscribed  on  the 


"what  would  JESUS  do?"  45 

tables  of  stone  ?  Its  ordinances  can  never  be  abro- 
gated until  there  is  a  radical  transformation  in  the 
physical  and  moral  structure  of  the  race. 

The  other  ethical  symbol  is  the  Sermon  on  the 
Mount,  which  was  not  given  as  a  substitute  for  the 
Decalogue  but  as  our  Lord's  exposition  of  it. 
"Think  not,"  he  said,  "  that  I  am  come  to  destroy 
the  Law  or  the  Prophets;  I  am  come  not  to  destroy 
but  to  fulfill;  for,  verily  I  say  unto  you.  Till  heaven 
and  earth  pass,  one  jot  or  one  tittle  shall  in  no  wise 
pass  from  the  law,  till  all  be  fulfilled."  The  Cere- 
monial Law  was  wholly  fulfilled  in  Christ;  since  all 
its  rites  and  ceremonies,  its  lustrations  and  sacrifices 
pointed  forward  to  Messiah  and  found  their  consum- 
mation and  completion  in  him.  But  as  to  the  Moral 
Law,  our  Lord  himself  referred  its  fulfillment  to  the 
conscience  of  every  man.  He  reiterated  its  precepts 
one  by  one,  adding  the  emphasis  of  his  personal 
authority  in  a  most  searching  analysis,  and  made 
them  binding  forever  on  the  hearts  and  consciences 
of  those  who  honor  and  serve  him. 

In  between  the  two  great  symbols  stands  Christ 
himself,  as  a  living  illustration  and  exemplar  of  this 
perfection.  Ecce  Homo/  He  stands  solitary  and 
alone,  the  one  man  in  history  who  is  as  good  as  the 
Law.  We  are  to  follow  him,  preeminently  in  his 
obedience  to  its  precepts.  To  inquire  "  What  would 
Jesus  do?"  is  to  get  an  immediate  answer  "He 
would  do  right;"  in  other  words,  he  would  do  what 
the  Law  requires. 

Second :  "  The  new  definition  of  discipleship,''  as  stated 
in  this  book,  seems  to  take  matters  out  of  the  hands  of  Christ 
himself  in  so  far  as  it  remands  to  a  subordinate  place  not  a 


46  "what    would    JESUS   DO?" 

few  of  the  truths  which  he  declared  to  be  of  supreme  impor' 
tance. 

It  will  be  profitable,  just  here,  to  inquire  as  to  the 
real  relation  which  Christ  sustains  to  his  people. 
And  fortunately  there  is  no  possibility  of  doubt  or 
peradventure.      His  teaching  is  clear, 

(i)  He  stands  to  us,  at  the  outset,  in  the  relation 
of  a  Priest.  He  came  to  offer  himself,  as  a  whole 
burnt-offering,  on  Calvary  in  expiation  of  sin.  "  As 
Moses  lifted  up  the  serpent  in  the  wilderness,  even 
so  must  the  Son  of  Man  be  lifted  up,  that  whosoever 
believeth  in  him  should  not  perish,  but  have  ever- 
lasting life."  It  is  a  singular  fact  that  in  the  book 
referred  to  there  is  no  reference  to  this  expiatory 
sacrifice.  The  saving  power  of  the  gospel  seems  to 
be  located  in  the  imitation  of  the  virtues  of  Christ. 
In  point  of  fact,  that  has  never  saved  any  man. 
"  The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  cleanseth  from  all  sin;  " 
and  "Without  the  shedding  of  blood  there  is  no 
remission  of  sin."  The  very  beginning  of  the  Chris- 
tian life  is  in  the  apprehension  of  this  truth.  *'  This 
is  the  work  of  God,  that  ye  believe  in  him  whom  he 
hath  sent."  The  reverend  Henry  Maxwell,  in  his 
preaching  in  his  own  parish  and  in  the  slums,  while 
dwelling  constantly  on  the  importance  of  following 
in  Christ's  steps,  is  not  represented  as  declaring  to 
sinners  the  vital  importance  of  looking  to  Christ 
crucified  as  their  deliverer  from  the  shame  and  bond- 
age and  penalty  of  sin. 

(2)  He  is  also  our  Prophet;  as  such  he  instructs 
us  in  the  great  verities  of  the  spiritual  life.  His  word 
as  our  Prophet  must  be  ultimate.  We  find,  however, 
that  in  his  teaching  there  is  a  constant  reference  to 


**  WHAT    WOULD    JESUS   DO  ?  "  47 

the  Scriptures  as  the  inspired  setting  of  the  Moral 
Law.  But  this  is  not  made  to  appear  in  the  pages  of 
"In  His  Steps."  We  note  this  as  another  singular 
omission,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  Christ  so  consist- 
ently referred  his  hearers  to  the  Word. — While  we 
are  inquiring  as  to  the  probable  conduct  of  Jesus  it 
may  not  be  impertinent  to  ask,  Would  he  have  written 
a  book  of  three  hundred  pages  and  wholly  ignored 
the  authority  of  Holy  Writ  ?  To  him  the  Scriptures 
were  "law"  and  "truth."  He  made  them  the  rule 
of  his  own  action,  as  when  in  the  Wilderness  he  met 
the  Adversary  with  the  words,  "  It  is  written."  He 
never,  in  any  wise,  reflected  upon  the  veracity  or 
trustworthiness  of  the  Scriptures;  on  the  other  hand, 
he  said,  "Search  them;  for  in  them  ye  think  ye  have 
eternal  life,  and  these  are  they  which  testify  of  me." 
We  shall  best  manifest  our  love  to  him  as  our  Prophet 
by  receiving  his  teaching  in  this  and  in  every  other 
particular  as  Yea  and  Amen ;  and  anything  less  than 
this  is  not  to  follow  "  in  his  steps." 

(3)  He  is  also  our  King.  He  came  to  set  up  a 
spiritual  kingdom  on  earth.  Its  foundations  were 
laid  on  Calvary  in  his  blood.  Its  great  commission 
is,  "  Go  ye,  evangelize."  The  purpose  of  Christ  was 
to  save  the  whole  man.  He  cared  for  the  body,  heal- 
ing the  sick  and  relieving  common  necessities.  But, 
above  all  things,  he  sought  the  welfare  of  the  immor- 
tal soul.  It  must  have  been  so,  since  our  physical 
life  is  but  an  handbreadth,  while  the  life  of  the  soul 
is  forever  and  ever.  The  words  of  Jesus,  "Follow 
me,"  have  reference  preeminently  to  the  setting  up 
of  his  spiritual  kingdom  in  the  deliverance  of  the 
world  from  sin.     But  in  Henry  Maxwell's  gospel  the 


48  "what    would    JESUS    DO?" 

emphasis  is  certainly  placed  on  physical  conditions. 
We  are  urged  to  follow  Christ  in  the  healing  of  the 
sick  and  the  clothing  of  the  naked,  in  effecting  right 
relations  between  capital  and  labor  and  '"n  the  general 
improvement  of  the  present  order.  I  repeat,  this  is 
involved  in  the  great  mission  of  Christ,  but  it  is  not 
the  matter  of  supreme  moment;  and  to  make  it  so  is 
to  disturb  the  right  proportion  of  things.  It  is 
important  that  we  should  promote  the  temporal  com- 
fort of  our  fellow  men  as  far  as  possible;  but  the 
tremendous  problem  still  remains,  "What  shall  it 
profit  a  man  if  he  gain  the  whole  world  and  lose  his 
soul ? " 

I  say,  therefore,  that  the  proposed  rule  of  action 
falls  short  of  the  teaching  of  Christ.  A  truly 
Christo-centric  life  is  one  that  embraces  not  a  mere 
segment,  but  the  great  circle  of  his  doctrine.  It 
accepts  Christ  as  an  atoning  Priest,  an  infallible 
Prophet  and  a  supreme  King;  it  vindicates  its  sin- 
cerity by  accepting  his  sacrifice,  receiving  his  teach- 
ing as  ultimate  and  engaging  in  the  service  of 
his  kingdom  along  the  lines  which  he  has  marked 
out. 

Third:  The  rule  proposed  as  the  supreme  standard  of 
Christian  conduct  does  not  relieve  the  situation,  since  it  is 
precisely  as  impracticable  as  obedience  to  the  Moral  Law. 

(i)  Its  criterion  is  this:  "  What  would  Jesus  do, //" 
he  were  in  our  place  V  But  is  such  a  change  of  cir- 
cumstances in  all  cases  possible  ?  One  tremendous 
fact  is  overlooked,  to  wit,  the  divinity  of  Christ.  If 
he  were  only  a  holy  man,  the  rule  of  mutatis  niicta7idis 
might  well  apply.  So  far  forth,  there  is  probably  no 
Unitarian  who  would  not  be  willing  to  accept  this 


"what    would   JESUS   DO?"  49 

rule ;  for  even  those  who  reject  the  Godhood  of  Jesus, 
his  atonement  and  his  infallible  teaching,  are  willing 
to  admit  that  he  was  a  most  exemplary  man.  But 
this  is  not  enough.  He  was  more  than  man;  he  was 
also  "  very  God  of  very  God. "  And  that  fact  qualifies 
the  entire  proposition.  He  was  always  buttressed  by 
his  omnipotent  holiness.  We  are  urged  to  follow 
him  everywhere ;  above  all  to  follow  him  in  his 
sufferings.  We  are  told  that  we  must  "go  with 
him  to  Gethsemane. "  Yet  he  himself,  on  entering 
the  Garden,  said  to  his  three  companions:  "My  soul 
is  exceeding  sorrowful,  even  unto  death ;  tarry  ye 
here  and  watch  with  me ;  "  then  going  a  little  farther 
he  drank  in  solitude  the  purple  cup  of  vicarious  pain. 
Let  no  man  intrude  upon  that  awful  anguish  which 
was  the  divine  expiation  of  the  world's  sin.  "I  am 
hungry  for  suffering!"  cries  Henry  Maxwell;  yet 
suffering  of  itself  is  profitless;  and  the  extremity  of 
the  vicarious  pain  of  Jesus  is  certainly  not  to  be 
shared  by  any  mortal  man.  Is  it  not  written,  "  I 
have  trodden  the  wine-press  alone  and  of  the  people 
there  was  none  with  me  "  ? 

(2)  Still  further,  the  proposed  rule  refers  the 
whole  question  of  morals  to  personal  opinion.  "The 
only  right  standard  for  everyone  is  the  probable 
action  of  Jesus."  In  other  words,  there  is  no  rigid 
standard  whatever.  The  book  tells  of  a  certain  man 
in  the  employ  of  a  railway  company  who  by  mis- 
take opened  a  letter  intended  for  the  superintendent 
of  the  road,  in  which  he  found  evidence  of  systematic 
violation  of  the  Interstate  Commerce  Laws.  The 
question  now  arose,  What  should  he  do  in  these 
premises  ?      He    decided    that,    under    the   circura- 


5©  **WHAT    WOULD    JESUS   DO?" 

stances,  Jesus  would  file  information  against  the 
company,  which  he  proceeded  to  do.  It  would 
appear  to  some  of  us,  probably,  that  Jesus  would  not 
have  taken  advantage  of  information  coming  to  him 
in  that  way.  The  question  might  better  have  been 
referred  to  an  old  ordinance  which  reads,  "Thou 
shalt  not  steal."  But  what  would  become  of  society 
if  personal  opinion  were  thus  allowed  to  supplant  all 
formal  rules  and  regulations;  or  if  it  were  left  to  every 
man  to  determine  his  conduct  by  supposing  what 
Jesus  would  do  ?  Here  is  a  broad  margin  surely  for 
ethical  latitudinarianism.  How  much  better  to  hew 
to  the  line  and  do  right!  Is  not  the  man  who  keeps 
the  Law  sure  of  following  Christ  ? 

On    the    second    page    of    the  volume,    "In    His 
Steps, "we  find  this  legend: 

Copyright,  1897, 

by 

Charles  M.  Sheldon 


All  rights  reserved 

The  question  arises.  What  would  Christ  have 
done  under  these  circumstances  ?  Would  he  have 
copyrighted  a  book  which  was  intended  solely  for 
the  betterment  of  men?  Would  he  have  restricted 
its  influence  with  this  caveat,  "  All  rights  reserved  "? 
In  our  opinion,  he  would  have  made  its  truths  as 
free  as  air,  since  he  himself  said,  "  It  is  more  blessed 
to  give  than  to  receive."  I  do  not  mention  this,  how- 
ever, by  way  of  criticising  the  book  or  its  author,  but 
simply  to  set  forth  the  folly  of  referring  an  ethical 
question  to  mere  individual  opinion.  In  fact  this 
leaves  us  no  constant  or  trustworthy  standard  at  all. 

The  Moral  Law  is  rigid  and  unvarying.     There  is 


"what    would    JESUS   DO?"  51 

no  mistaking  its  prescript.  It  leaves  nothing  to  the 
imagination.  It  is  like  our  standard  of  weights  and 
measures.  A  grocer  is  not  left  to  decide  for  himself 
how  much  sugar  there  shall  be  in  a  pound,  since 
there  is  in  Washington  a  cube  of  platinum  weighing 
precisely  sixteen  ounces  which  lays  an  imperative 
command  upon  him.  No  man  who  sells  fabrics  by 
measure  is  permitted  to  use  his  judgment  as  to  the 
number  of  inches  in  a  yard;  there  is  a  standard 
which  settles  the  matter  definitely  for  him.  So  are 
our  civil  laws.  A  man  at  court  is  not  permitted  to 
measure  his  guilt  or  innocence  by  any  such  plea  as, 
"  I  thought  thus  and  so,"  but  is  judged  by  the  code. 
The  only  opinion  which  a  man  can  be  allowed  to 
hold  is  that  the  law  is  good,  and  he  must  adjust  his 
life  to  it. 

Fourth  :  The  rule  proposed  may  easily  be  so  misunder- 
stood as  to  be  grievous  and  mischievous  in  its  operation.  It 
may  be  grievous  in  leading  to  unnecessary  perplexity 
and  in  many  cases  to  utter  discouragement.  Not  that 
the  standard  is  too  high ;  for  it  is  as  difficult  to  keep 
the  Law  as  it  is  to  imitate  Christ;  but  in  case  of  fail- 
ure, it  alone  cannot  satisfy  the  sinner's  need.  And 
failure  there  is  bound  to  be.  For  no  man  ever  yet 
brought  "the  bottom  of  his  life  up  to  the  top  of  his 
light."  He  who  undertakes  to  imitate  Christ  as  a 
perfect  man  is  certain  to  fall  short;  and  he  is  left  to 
despair  unless  he  has  learned  that  Jesus  is  more  than 
an  exemplary  man. 

The  rule  proposed  may  easily  be  mischievous  also 
in  its  mistaken  application.  To  this  source  we  refer 
the  rise  of  the  Barefoot  Friars :  who  said,  "  Christ  was 
a  poor  man ;  he  had  not  where  to  lay  his  head ;  there- 


52  "what    would    JESUS    DO?" 

fore,  we  will  consecrate  ourselves  to  perpetual 
poverty."  The  advocates  of  an  uneducated  ministry- 
reason  thus:  "Since  Jesus  was  a  man  of  limited  cul- 
ture, why  should  we  resort  to  Theological  Semi- 
naries ?  "  A  man  engaged  in  the  honest  trade  of  a 
carpenter  says,  "At  thirty  years  of  age  my  fellow- 
craftsman  Jesus  locked  the  door  of  his  shop  and  went 
forth  to  devote  himself  to  the  preaching  of  the  King- 
dom: his  circumstances  and  mine  are  similar;  why 
should  I  not  follow  him  ?  "  The  Flagellants  are 
"hungry  to  suffer,"  because  Christ  was  a  sufferer; 
and  you  may  see  them  in  Mexico  in  solemn  procession, 
bearing  crosses,  with  blood  streaming  from  their 
wounds.  A  celibate  clergy  is  justified  by  the  celibacy 
of  Jesus.  There  are  fanatical  "communities  "  to  be 
found  in  many  portions  of  our  country  where  "the 
probable  action  of  Jesus  "  is  the  only  rule.  So-called 
"Christian  Scientists,"  who,  while  ignoring  the 
divinity  of  Christ  and  his  redemption  from  sin,  regard 
him  as  a  compassionate  healer,  will  tell  you  that  they 
are  trying  to  follow  in  his  steps.  What  does  all  this 
mean  ?  It  means  that  the  letter  killeth  and  the 
Spirit  maketh  alive.  It  means  that  we  are  not  to 
press  a  duty  beyond  the  limits  of  possibility  or  of 
common  sense.  It  means  that  in  the  last  reduction, 
duty  is  not  a  matter  of  mere  opinion  but  of  obedi- 
ence to  holy  law. 

Let  us  close  where  we  began,  with  a  word  of  cau- 
tion. The  question  is  not  as  to  the  importance  of 
following  Christ,  but  as  to  the  validity  and  binding 
force  of  the  Moral  Law.  To  insist  upon  this  is  not 
to  call  for  any  lowering  of  the  standard  or  to  depre- 
cate the  imitation  of  Christ.     On  the  contrary  it  bids 


"what    would   JESUS  DO?"  53 

us  aim  at  perfection,  and  it  does  this  in  precise 
accordance  with  the  teachings  of  Christ  himself. 

The  order  as  laid  down  in  Scripture  is  this :  first,  the 
Law;  second,  in  default  of  obedience  to  that  Law,  a 
resort  to  Christ  for  pardon;  and  third,  the  "  bringing 
into  captivity  of  every  thought  to  the  obedience  of 
Christ."  At  this  point,  the  supreme  obligation  is  to 
please  him  and  follow  in  his  steps. 

It  is  written  that  a  young  man  came  to  Jesus,  say- 
ing, "  Good  Master,  what  good  thing  shall  I  do  that 
I  may  have  eternal  life  ?  "  And  Jesus  said,  "  If  thou 
wilt  enter  into  life,  keep  the  commandments."  And 
he  saith  unto  him,  "Which?"  Jesus  answered, 
"  Thou  shalt  do  no  murder.  Thou  shalt  not  commit 
adultery,  Thou  shalt  not  steal.  Thou  shalt  npt  bear 
false  witness.  Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother:  and, 
Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself. "  The  young 
man  said,  "  All  these  have  I  kept  from  my  youth  up; 
what  lack  I  yet  ?  "  It  was  to  meet  this  desperate  ' '  lack  " 
that  Jesus  said,  "Go,  part  with  everything,  and  come 
and  follow  me."  In  other  words  the  Law,  by  reveal- 
ing to  this  young  man  his  sin,  must  as  a  schoolmaster 
lead  him  to  Christ,  in  whom  he  was  to  receive  the 
pardon  of  his  sins.  That  done,  thenceforth  and  for- 
evermore  his  duty  was  to  follow  in  Christ's  steps. 

Our  life  is  not  simply  in  doing,  but  in  being;  and 
character  is  measured  by  one's  conformity  to  Christ 
as  Christ  conformed  to  law.  It  will  be  quite  safe  to 
ask  under  all  circumstances,  "What  would  please 
my  Lord  and  Master  ? "  or, "  What  would  he  have  me 
to  do  ?  "  This  is  the  Pauline  rule:  "  For  this  cause 
we  do  not  cease  to  pray  for  you,  and  to  desire  that  ye 
might  be  filled  with  the  knowledge  of  his  will  in  all 


54  "what    would    JESUS    DO?" 

wisdom  and  spiritual  understanding;  that  ye  might 
walk  worthy  of  the  Lord  unto  all  pleasing,  being 
fruitful  in  every  good  work,  and  increasing  in  the 
knowledge  of  God."  We  shall  gain  nothing  in  our 
devotion  to  Christ  by  ignoring  that  majestic  Law 
which  he  not  only  exemplified  in  his  own  character 
but  constantly  exalted  as  the  unchangeable  standard 
of  human  living.  The  example  of  Jesus  is  not  to  be 
regarded  as  a  substitute  for  the  Moral  Law  but  as  its 
vital  interpretation ;  and  obeying  that,  we  shall  indeed 
be  following  in  his  steps. 


THE  POTTER  AND  THE  CLAY. 

"  I  went  down  to  the  potter's  house,  and,  behold,  he  wrought  a  work  on 
the  wheels.  And  the  vessel  that  he  made  of  clay  was  marred  in  the  hand  of 
the  potter :  so  he  made  it  again  another  vessel,  as  seemed  good  to  the  potter  to 
make  it.  Then  the  word  of  the  Lord  came  to  me,  saying,  O  house  of  Israel, 
cannot  I  do  with  you  as  this  potter  ?  saith  the  Lord.  Behold,  as  the  clay  is  in 
the  potter's  hand,  so  are  ye  in  mine  hand,  O  house  of  Israel."— Jer.  i8,  3-6. 

The  truth  here  set  forth  is  easily  misinterpreted. 
We  shall  be  helped  to  a  right  understanding  of  it  by 
a  comparative  exegesis.  The  metaphor  of  the  Potter 
and  the  Clay  is  found  in  three  other  portions  of 
Scripture,  as  follows: — 

Job  10,  8,  9.  "  Thine  hands  have  made  me  and  fashioned  me  together  round 
about ;  yet  thou  dost  destroy  me.  Remember,  I  beseech  thee,  that  thou  hast 
made  me  as  the  clay  ;  and  wilt  thou  bring  me  into  dust  again  ?  "  (There  is  an 
obvious  reference  here  to  the  creation  of  man.    Gen.  2,  7.) 

Isaiah  45,  5-9.  "  I  am  the  Lord,  and  there  is  none  else ;  there  is  no  God 
beside  me  ;  I  girded  thee,  though  thou  hast  not  known  me ;  that  they  may 
know  from  the  rising  of  the  sun,  and  from  the  west,  that  there  is  none  beside 
me.  I  am  the  Lord,  and  there  is  none  else.  I  form  the  light  and  create  dark- 
ness :  I  make  peace,  and  create  evil :  I  the  Lord  do  all  these  things.  Drop 
down,  ye  heavens,  from  above,  and  let  the  skies  pour  down  righteousness  ; 
let  the  earth  open,  and  let  them  bring  forth  salvation,  and  let  righteousness 
spring  up  together  ;  I  the  Lord  have  created  it.  Woe  unto  him  that  striveth 
with  his  Maker !  Let  the  potsherd  strive  with  the  potsherds  of  the  earth. 
Shall  the  clay  say  to  him  that  f ashioneth  it.  What  makest  thou  ?  or  thy  work, 
He  hath  no  hands?"  (A  rebuke  is  administered  to  the  Israelites,  who  mur- 
mured because  their  deliverance  was  to  come  from  Cyrus,  an  alien  of  a 
despised  race.) 

Romans  9,  20-26.  "  O  man,  who  art  thou  that  repliest  against  God  ?  Shall 
the  thing  formed  say  to  him  that  formed  it.  Why  hast  thou  made  me  thus? 
Hath  not  the  potter  power  over  the  clay,  of  the  same  lump  to  make  one  vessel 
unto  honor,  and  another  unto  dishonor  ?  What  if  God,  willing  to  show  his 
wrath,  and  to  make  his  power  known,  endured  with  much  longsuffering  the 

(SS) 


56  THE  POTTER  AND  THE  CLAY. 

vessels  of  wrath  fitted  to  destruction :  and  that  he  might  make  known  the 
riches  of  his  glory  on  the  vessels  of  mercy,  which  he  had  afore  prepared  unto 
glory,  even  us,  whom  he  hath  called,  not  of  the  Jews  only,  but  also  of  the 
Gentiles?  As  he  saith  also  in  Osee,  I  will  call  them  my  people,  which  were  not 
my  people ;  and  her  beloved,  which  was  not  beloved.  And  it  shall  come  to 
pass,  that  in  the  place  where  it  was  said  unto  them,  Ye  are  not  my  people ; 
there  shall  they  be  called  the  children  of  the  living  God."  (Paul  is  explaining 
the  reprobation  of  the  stubborn  and  incorrigible  Jews  and  tne  calling  of  the 
Gentiles  to  the  privileges  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ.) 

The  figure  here  used  is  one  of  the  oldest  of  meta- 
phors, as  pottery  itself  is  among  the  most  ancient  of 
arts.  At  this  day,  in  the  Orient,  where  the  old  order 
changeth  not,  you  may  find  the  potter  at  his  work 
just  as  Jeremiah  found  him.  He  places  a  formless 
lump  of  clay  on  a  horizontal  wheel ;  with  his  foot  on  a 
treadle  he  sets  it  in  motion ;  the  mass  having  assumed 
a  conical  shape,  he  thrusts  his  thumb  into  the  top  of 
it,  widens  the  opening  by  the  deft  pressure  of  his 
fingers,  and  carefully  manipulates  it  into  any  desired 
shape.  It  would  be  hard  to  find  a  figure  which 
should  more  aptly  characterize  the  Lord's  relation  to 
the  creatures  of  his  hand.  "Shall  the  thing  formed 
say  to  him  that  formed  it,  Why  hast  thou  made  me 
thus?   O  man,  who  art  thou  that  repliest  against  God  ? " 

The  primary  reference  is  to  God's  dealings  with 
Israel,  the  favored  nation.  A  man  and  a  nation  differ 
in  this:  a  man  lives  forever;  therefore  his  reckoning 
laps  over  into  eternity,  his  account  cannot  be  bal- 
anced without  reference  to  the  Judgment  day.  But 
a  nation  has  no  immortality;  it  lives  only  in  time; 
therefore  its  judgment  must  be  here  and  now.  God 
deals  with  nations,  therefore,  by  the  rule  of  exact 
retribution.  And  he  is  a  sure  paymaster.  It  was 
because  the  Jews  did  not  realize  this  that  they  lost 
their  peculiar  opportunity  and  sinned  away  forever 
their  day  of  grace. 


THE  POTTER  AND  THE  CLAY.  57 

"  The  Lord  is  governor  among  the  nations."  He 
is  the  potter  and  they  the  clay.  "The  king's  heart 
is  in  his  hand  as  the  rivers  of  water."  The  nation  or 
kingdom  that  will  not  serve  him  shall  perish.  *'  His 
mills  grind  slow,  but  they  grind  woe."  Here  is  a 
lesson  for  France ;  the  God  who  notes  the  sparrow's 
fall  will  surely  not  overlook  a  great  judicial  wrong 
though  it  be  perpetrated  on  the  humblest  of  men. 
Here  is  a  lesson  for  England  also,  at  this  moment, 
when  her  multitudinous  armies  are  marching  forth 
against  Oom  Paul;  Christian  against  Christian; 
the  strong  against  the  weak.  ^''  Faustrecht"  is  not 
righteousness,  God  is  Arbiter;  hence  the  race  is 
not  always  to  the  swift  nor  the  battle  to  the  strong. 
The  Recessional,  which  only  yesterday  was  on  every 
lip,  is  in  little  favor  now.  Yet  this  is  the  moment  to 
recall  and  emphasize  it: 

"  God  of  our  fathers,  known  of  old — 
Lord  of  our  far-flung  battle  line — 
Beneath  whose  awful  hand  we  hold 
Dominion  over  palm  and  pine — 
Lord  God  of  Hosts,  be  with  us  yet, 
Lest  we  forget — lest  we  forget  ! 

The  tumult  and  the  shouting  dies — 
The  Captains  and  the  Kings  depart — 
Still  stands  Thine  ancient  sacrifice, 
An  humble  and  a  contrite  heart. 
Lord  God  of  Hosts,  be  with  us  yet. 
Lest  we  forget — lest  we  forget ! 

Far-called  our  navies  melt  away — 
On  dune  and  headland  sinks  the  fire — 
Lo,  all  our  pomp  of  yesterday 
Is  one  with  Nineveh  and  Tyre  ! 
Judge  of  the  Nations,  spare  us  yet. 
Lest  we  forget — lest  we  forget ! 


58  THE  POTTER  AND  THE  CLAY. 

If,  drunk  with  sight  of  power,  we  loose 
Wild  tongues  that  have  not  Thee  in  awe — 
Such  boasting  as  the  Gentiles  use, 
Or  lesser  breeds  without  the  Law — 
Lord  God  of  Hosts,  be  with  us  yet, 
Lest  we  forget — lest  we  forget !  " 

And  here  is  a  lesson  for  America  as  well.  We 
may  not  withhold  our  hands  from  the  responsibility 
involved  in  new  possessions  fallen  to  our  lot  as  the 
result  of  a  righteous  war:  but  it  behooves  us  as  a 
nation  to  deal  justly  with  our  humblest  wards  as  in 
the  sight  of  God.  To  abandon  our  recent  acquisitions 
to  their  own  incompetency,  to  their  former  masters 
or  to  the  tender  mercies  of  those  carnivorous  birds 
familiarly  known  as  "the  Great  Powers,"  would  be 
flagrant  cowardice  indeed;  more  blameworthy  still 
would  it  be  to  withhold  from  them  the  benignant 
blessings  of  justice  and  freedom  which  God  has  so 
graciously  bestowed  upon  us. 

The  most  casual  reader  of  history  can  hardly  be 
unmoved  as  he  beholds  the  splendid  ruins  of  thrones 
and  dynasties  strewn  along  the  pathway  of  the  cen- 
turies. What  are  these  sherds  that  litter  the  earth  ? 
Rome,  Babylon,  Assyria,  Egypt;  their  glory  is  in  the 
dust.  Proud  and  recalcitrant,  they  forgat  God ;  and 
he  broke  and  scattered  them  along  the  way. 

But  the  individual  application  of  this  metaphor  is 
what  immediately  concerns  us.  God  deals  not  with 
the  race  en  masse,  but  man  by  man.  A  singular  mark 
of  his  greatness  is  this  distributive  administration  of 
justice.  He  calleth  us  by  name.  The  humblest  is 
not  beneath  his  notice.  The  Lord  said  to  Nathaniel, 
"I  saw  thee  when  thou  wast  under  the  fig-tree." 


THE  POTTER  AND  THE  CLAY.  59 

Our  first  lesson  is  this ;  God  is  sovereign.  He  has 
a  property  right  in  us  and  claims  an  indisputable 
right  to  do  whatsoever  he  will  with  his  own.  We  may 
resent  this,  but  we  cannot  confute  it.  Let  the  prop- 
osition be  stated  in  its  harshest  form:  Suppose  God 
were  a  despot  regardless  of  justice  and  heedless  of 
'mercy  (though,  blessed  be  his  name,  the  very  oppo- 
site is  true),  his  irresistible  power  and  incontestable 
authority  over  us  hold  good. 

The  flagrant  sin  of  our  time  is  irreverence.  We  are 
accustomed  to  take  great  liberties  with  God.  There  are 
some  who  decline  to  recognize  him  even  as  Creator; 
for  what  need  of  the  potter  if  the  wheel  revolves 
automatically  and  the  clay  shapes  itself  ?  There  is 
also  a  practical  denial  of  God's  providence;  for  are 
we  not  the  architects  of  our  own  fortunes  here  and 
hereafter  ?  Is  not  our  life  a  joint  product  of  heredity 
and  environment  ?  And  is  not  character  our  own 
handiwork  ?  The  divine  part  in  salvation  is,  in  like 
manner,  reduced  to  the  minimum.  "Work  out  your 
own  salvation  "  is  the  exhortation  of  our  time.  The 
philosophy  most  in  favor  is  that  of  La  Place,  who, 
v/hen  Napoleon  remonstrated,  "I  find  no  mention  of 
God  in  your  system,"  replied,  "We  have  ruled  God 
out;  we  have  no  need  of  him."  But  meanwhile  the 
Potter  sits  at  the  wheel  yesterday,  to-day  and  forever 
the  same;  and  wise  men  perceive  that  he  is  still 
sovereign  over  all.  "  Work  out  your  own  salvation" 
indeed,  but  with  an  infinite  hope  and  expectancy, 
since  "  it  is  God  that  worketh  in  you,  both  to  will  and 
to  do  of  his  own  good  pleasure." 

Let  it  be  repeated,  therefore,  with  emphasis  that, 
if  there  be    a    God,    his    power   is    infinite  and   his 


6o  THE  POTTER  AND  THE  CLAY. 

authority  absolute.  The  Potter  may  do  with  the  clay 
what  he  will.  He  may  fashion  it  as  he  pleases,  into 
a  pot  for  carrying  ashes  from  beneath  the  altar,  a 
bowl  for  holding  frankincense  or  a  chalice  to  be 
filled  with  sacramental  wine.  It  is  for  him  to  say 
which  it  shall  be.  The  question  at  this  point  is  purely 
one  of  prerogative.  We  shall  presently  see  how  the 
exercise  of  this  prerogative  is  conditioned  by  the 
laws  of  the  divine  being.  But  if  he  were  a  despot, 
as  cruel  as  hundred-handed  Siva,  he  would  still  be 
absolute  and  there  would  be  no  replying  to  him. 
The  Infinite  and  Absolute,  who  created  the  world 
and  all  things  therein  by  his  fiat,  has  indisputable 
power  to  shape  that  world  at  his  pleasure  or  sweep 
it  out  of  existence  with  a  breath  of  his  nostrils.  His 
scepter  is  indeed  a  right  scepter.  He  ruleth  in 
equity,  and  the  judgments  of  his  throne  are  truth  and 
righteousness  altogether;  but  quite  apart  from  that 
consideration  he  is  sole  potentate  of  the  universe, 
and  may  do  whatsoever  he  will  with  his  own. 

Our  second  lesson  is  this :  The  Clay  has  rights  which 
the  Potter  respects.  It  is  a  proverb  that  "  no  figure  of 
speech  must  be  made  to  go  on  all-fours."  There  is 
a  point  at  which  all  analogies  fail.  Man  is  as  clay, 
indeed,  in  the  hands  of  God.  But  under  those  shaping 
hands  he  assumes  a  form  which  gives  him  a  peculiar 
claim  upon  God. 

We  are  animate  clay.  The  fable  of  Pygmalion  is 
realized  in  us.  The  sculptor  breathes  upon  his  handi- 
work and,  behold,  it  is  a  living  soul  !  It  is  written, 
"God  created  man  in  his  own  image,  in  the  image  of 
God  created  he  him."  Thus  the  potter  is  also  a 
Father;  the  clay  becomes  a  Man;  vast  possibilities 


THE  POTTER  AND  THE  CLAY.  6l 

are  before  him.  As  out  of  the  whirl  of  the  potter's 
wheel  comes  a  thing  of  beauty,  so  character  is  evolved 
from  the  vicissitudes  of  life.  God  calls  the  living 
clay,  "My  Son";  and  the  son  thinks  the  Father's 
thoughts  after  him.  He  is  now  a  son  of  God  "and 
it  doth  not  yet  appear  what  he  shall  be." 

We  are  also  normal  clay;  that  is,  in  the  process  of 
our  shaping  under  the  hands  of  the  potter,  we  are 
endowed  with  law.  And  the  laws  of  our  being  are  the 
very  same  that  center  in  God.  Truth,  justice  and  holi- 
ness emanate  from  him  as  sunlight  from  the  sun ;  truth, 
justice  and  holiness  are  likewise  the  high  conditions 
of  our  life.  And  the  Potter  is  ever  conditioned  by 
this  fact  in  his  dealings  with  us.  He  is  bound — and 
none  the  less  so  because  self-bound — to  respect  the 
laws  of  our  being.  Thus  it  is  written,  "To  turn 
aside  the  right  of  a  man  before  the  face  of  the  Most 
High,  the  Lord  approveth  not";  and  again,  "I  drew 
them  with  the  cords  of  a  man." 

Furthermore,  we  are  sovereign  clay;  and  this  by 
virtue  of  our  kinship  with  the  sovereign  Potter.  We 
alone  of  all  his  creatures  have  power  to  defy  him. 
To  his  word  "Thou  shalt,"  we  may  reply,  "I  will 
not, "and  take  the  consequences.  We  were  intended 
to  be  Vessels  of  honor;  but,  if  so  disposed,  we  may 
thwart  this  beneficent  purpose  and  bring  to  naught 
the  Potter's  plan.  We  must  choose  for  ourselves. 
Not  merely  the  freedom  of  choice  but  its  necessity 
is  upon  us;  and  herein  are  the  issues  of  eternal  life 
and  death.  God  points  us  to  righteousness,  saying, 
"This  is  the  way;  walk  ye  in  it";  but  we  are  free  to 
turn  aside  into  another  way  of  which  it  is  written, 
"There  is  a  way  that  seemeth  right  unto  a  man,  but 


62  THE    POTTER    AND    THE    CLAY. 

the  end  thereof  are  the  ways  of  death."  God  would 
have  all  men  to  be  saved ;  but  a  man  can  be  lost  if 
he  insist  upon  it. 

By  the  laws  of  our  being,  which  we  share  with 
God,  he  is  prevented  from  putting  an  undue  con- 
straint upon  us.  Should  we  persist  in  sin  and  stub- 
bornly refuse  his  overtures  of  mercy,  he  can  only 
lament,  "  O  Ephraim,  how  shall  I  make  thee  as 
Admah  and  Zeboim?  My  heart  is  turned  within  me, 
my  repentings  are  kindled  together.  How  shall  I 
give  thee  up?"  Or,  as  he  did  over  the  Holy  City, 
"O  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  how  often  would  I  have 
gathered  thy  children  together,  even  as  a  hen  gathers 
her  brood  under  her  wings,  and  ye  would  not!' 
The  vessel  is  not  made  for  reprobation,  but  if  it  re- 
fuses to  meet  the  noble  ends  of  its  being,  if  all  fashion- 
ing and  refashioning  be  vain,  the  potter  has  no  alterna- 
tive but  to  break  it  into  potsherds  and  scatter  it. 

Our  third  lesson  is  this;  The  Potter  stoops  to  reason 
with  the  Clay.  Let  it  be  observed  that  this  is  wholly 
gratuitous.  The  Scriptures  are  God's  Apology;  in 
which  he  condescends  to  unfold  and  elucidate  his 
dealings  with  men.  He  has  the  power  to  act  with- 
out an  accounting,  and  so  he  often  does.  Not  all 
his  secrets  are  revealed  to  us. 

"Deep  in  unfathomable  mines 

Of  never-failing  skill, 
He  treasures  up  His  bright  designs 

And  works  His  sovereign  will. 
Blind  unbelief  is  sure  to  err, 

And  scan  His  work  in  vain  ; 
God  is  His  own  Interpreter, 

And  He  will  make  it  plain." 

A  veil  hangs  before  the   Holy   of   Holies;  but, 


THE  POTTER  AND  THE  CLAY.  6;^ 

though  we  may  not  enter,  we  know  that  behind  that 
veil  is  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant,  and  over  that  is  a 
mercy-seat  sprinkled  with  blood.  And  from  that 
secret  place  comes  a  voice,  "  I  am  the  Lord,  the  Lord 
God  merciful  and  gracious;  longsuffering  and  abun- 
dant in  goodness  and  truth  ! " 

He  has  power  to  command  also  without  explaining. 
Who  are  we  that  we  should  reply  against  God?  His 
word  is  ultimate.  Dictum,  faduni !  His  law  went 
forth  from  Sinai  with  the  sound  of  a  trumpet,  waxing 
louder  and  louder.  A  boundary  was  drawn  round 
the  base  of  the  mountain  and  the  people  were  admon- 
ished not  to  break  through  the  bounds.  If  one  of 
their  cattle  passed  the  limit,  it  must  be  stoned  or 
thrust  through  with  a  dart.  The  mountain  was 
enveloped  in  clouds,  from  which  issued  lightnings 
and  thunder.  So  terrible  was  the  sight  that  the 
people  "  did  exceedingly  fear  and  quake  ";  and  they 
said  to  Moses,  "  Speak  thou  with  us  and  we  will  hear; 
but  let  not  God  speak  with  us  lest  we  die  !  "  This 
manifestation  of  his  authority  from  Sinai  might  have 
concluded  God's  dealings  with  us.  But  great  is  his 
condescension:  "We  are  not  come  unto  the  mount 
that  burned  with  fire,  nor  unto  blackness  and  dark- 
ness and  tempest;  but  we  are  come  unto  Mount  Zion 
and  unto  the  City  of  the  living  God,  to  the  general 
assembly  and  church  of  the  firstborn,  and  to  Jesus 
the  Mediator  of  the  New  Covenant."  The  gospel  is 
the  complement  of  the  law;  it  is  God's  own  exposi- 
tion of  the  law.  And  Calvary  speaks  thus:  *' As  I 
live,  saith  the  Lord  God,  I  have  no  pleasure  in  the 
death  of  the  wicked,  but  that  the  wicked  turn  from 
his  way  and  live." 


64  THE  POTTER  AND  THE  CLAY. 

It  follows  irrefutably  that  God  must  save  us  as  he 
will.  He  makes  no  more  imposing  exhibition  of 
his  sovereignty  than  in  his  "sovereign  grace;"  to 
wit,  he  "so  loved  the  world  that  he  gave  his  only- 
begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  him  should 
not  perish  but  have  eternal  life."  Faith  is  the  con- 
dition which  a  sovereign  God  has  been  pleased  to 
affix  to  his  unspeakable  gift  of  life.  He  has  dis- 
tinctly admonished  us  that  we  shall  be  saved  only  by 
a  vital  and  appropriating  faith  in  the  sacrifice  of  his 
only-begotten  and  well-beloved  Son. 

And  now,  before  leaving  the  Potter's  House, 
there  are  two  facts  to  be  emphasized :  One  is,  that 
the  Potter  is  doing  his  best  with  the  clay.  He 
means  well  by  every  one  of  us.  Are  we  helping  or 
hindering  him  ?  Blessed  is  the  man  who  has  come 
into  sympathy  with  the  purposes  of  a  gracious  God. 
The  greatest  of  uninspired  writers  has  said, 

"There's  a  divinity  that  shapes  our  ends, 
Rough-hew  them  how  we  will." 

But  Jeremiah  goes  further  in  saying  that  God  not 
only  shapes,  but  reshapes  again  and  again,  in  the 
hope  of  producing  a  vessel  of  honor  out  of  the  plastic 
clay.  "  The  vessel  was  marred  in  the  hand  of  the 
potter,  so  he  made  it  again  another  vessel  as  seemed 
good  "  to  him.  This  is  the  meaning  of  providence. 
God  is  making  all  things  work  together  for  our  good. 
If  prosperity  will  not  shape  us  aright,  the  heavy  hand 
of  adversity  must  refashion  us.  And  only  when  all 
efforts  fail  by  reason  of  our  perverseness,  and  the 
clay  has  been  stiffened  by  the  furnace-fire  into  an 
uncouth  and  useless  shape,  is  it  broken  into  potsherds. 


THE  POTTER  AND  THE  CLAY.  65 

The  Other  fact  is  this:  God's  great  purpose  in  the 
recovery  of  our  world  from  its  bondage  of  sin  is 
bound  to  be  ultimately  accomplished.  The  potter 
is  at  the  wheel  This  is  the  philosopy  of  history. 
This  is  the  logic  of  events.  All  lines  are  converging 
toward  one  glorious  consummation,  "  the  restitution 
of  all  things."  The  authority  of  God  as  he  has  mani- 
fested himself  in  the  gospel  of  Christ,  shall  be  recog- 
nized from  the  river  unto  the  ends  of  the  earth.  The 
Lord  reigneth;  let  the  earth  rejoice!  The  king  who 
with  bleeding  feet  ascended  his  throne  on  Calvary 
shall  yet  see  of  the  travail  of  his  soul  and  be  satisfied. 
He  shall  have  the  heathen  for  his  inheritance  and  the 
uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  for  his  possession.  * 'All's 
well  that  ends  well."  The  tabernacle  of  God  shall  be 
among  men;  and  he  will  dwell  with  them,  and  they 
shall  be  his  people  and  God  himself  shall  be  with 
them  and  be  their  God. 


THE  PERFECT  LAW  OF  LIBERTY 

"  Stand  fast  therefore  in  the  liberty  wherewith  Christ  hath  made  us  free." 
-Gal.  5,  I. 

"  He  that  is  called  in  the  Lord,  being  a  servant,  is  the  Lord's  freeman." 
— L  Cor.  7,  22. 

"  But  whoso  looketh  into  the  perfect  law  of  liberty  and  continueth  therein, 
shall  be  blessed  in  his  deed."— James  i,  25. 

These  passages  of  Scripture  are  of  special  interest 
as  bearing  on  the  true  significance  of  freedom.  In 
the  first  we  have  an  intimation  that  the  followers  of 
Christ  are  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  peculiar  sort  of  free- 
dom. In  the  second  we  have  a  noteworthy  paradox; 
to  wit,  the  servant  of  the  Lord  is  a  free  man.  In  the 
third  occurs  a  strange  antithesis,  "  the  perfect  law  of 
liberty  " ;  the  common  understanding  being  that  law 
and  liberty  are  diverse  if  not  contradictory  terms. 

Madame  Roland  on  her  way  to  the  guillotine  is 
said  to  have  paused  before  a  statue  of  Freedom  and 
exclaimed:  "O  Freedom,  how  many  crimes  are  per- 
petrated in  thy  sacred  name!"  Nor  was  this  with- 
out reason;  for  the  French  Revolution  was  going  on. 
Never  were  souls  and  bodies  more  hopelessly  enslaved 
than  during  that  Reign  of  Terror,  when,  between 
the  loth  of  June  and  the  27th  of  July,  no  less  than 
fourteen  hundred  victims  laid  their  "  whimpering 
heads"  under  the  "  Maiden's  "  ax.  And  all  in  Free- 
dom's name!  The  dead-walls  of  Paris  were  placarded 

(66) 


THE  PERFECT   LAW   OF    LIBERTY.  67 

meanwhile  with  the  legend,  "  Liberty,  Equality, 
Fraternity."  At  the  root  of  the  matter  lay  a  mis- 
understanding as  to  the  definition  of  liberty.  What 
is  liberty  ?  An  escape  from  law,  exemption  from 
restraint,  deliverance  from  obligation  ?  Is  that  it  ? 
Nay;  to  be  free  is  to  move  without  let  or  hindrance  within 
one' s  proper  sphere. 

A  truant  boy  is  not  free,  however  he  may  seem  to 
be  enjoying  himself  in  the  fields  ;  he  is  free  only 
when  addressing  himself  to  the  tasks  assigned  to 
him.  A  prisoner  who  has  broken  his  bars  is  in  the 
bondage  of  a  law  stronger  than  locks  and  bolts,  a 
fact  betrayed  in  his  furtive  glance  and  guarded  step. 
A  sensualist  giving  himself  up  to  the  indulgence  of 
his  appetites  is  a  slave  of  habit,  lashed  with  a  whip 
of  scorpions.  The  man  who  rejects  all  truth  lying 
beyond  the  circumscription  of  his  senses  will  tell  you 
that  he  is  a  freethinker  ;  but,  indeed,  he  is  the  thrall 
of  prejudice,  ready  to  believe  anything  but  a  "  Thus 
saith  the  Lord,"  and  usually  possessed  of  a  very 
hydrophobia  against  truth  and  against  those  who 
receive  it.  Lawlessness  is  not  freedom.  He  only  is 
a  freeman  whom  the  truth  makes  free. 

Let  us  repeat  our  definition ;  Freedom  is  unfettered 
action  in  one' s proper  sphere.  The  freest  man  that  ever 
lived  was  Jesus  Christ.  He  had  no  superior  and  was 
under  the  domination  of  no  laws  except  such  as  ema- 
nated from  himself;  he  was  free  because  he  was 
absolutely  true  to  his  place.  He  lived  and  moved 
with  perfect  ease  along  the  pathway  of  right.  Such 
ease  of  movement  is  due  to  constraint  rather  than  to 
its  absence.  There  is  no  liberty  except  under  law.  A 
ship  "sails  free  "  only  when  she  keeps  her  course. 


68  THE   PERFECT    LAW    OF    LIBERTY. 

Thus  we  hear  Christ  saying,  ever  and  anon,"  I  must," 
and,  "It  must  needs  be."  The  pathway  of  his  life 
had  been  marked  out  and  he  moved  calmly  and  eas- 
ily over  it. 

I.  He  was  bound  to  fulfil  his  destiny  as  outlined  in  the 
Word  of  God.  "All  things  must  be  fulfilled,"  he 
said,  "which  are  written  in  the  Law  of  Moses  and 
the  Prophets  and  the  Psalms  concerning  me." 
(Luke  24,  44.) 

His  journey  through  the  world  from  Bethlehem 
to  Calvary  had  been  planned  from  all  eternity.  He 
was  "the  Lamb  slain  from  the  foundation  of  the 
world."  The  events  of  his  earthly  life  and  ministry 
run  through  Scripture  like  a  golden  thread;  his 
birth,  doctrine,  miracles,  death,  burial,  resurrection 
from  the  dead,  all  these  and  much  beside,  in  detail 
and  particular.  And  along  the  roadway  thus  pre- 
pared for  him,  he  scrupulously  pursued  his  way. 

At  the  outset  of  his  ministry  he  entered  the  syna- 
gogue at  Nazareth,  and  opening  the  Book  at  the 
place  where  it  was  written,  "The  Spirit  of  the  Lord 
is  upon  me,  because  he  hath  anointed  me  to  preach 
the  gospel  to  the  poor;  he  hath  sent  me  to  heal  the 
broken-hearted,  to  preach  deliverance  to  the  captives, 
and  recovering  of  sight  to  the  blind,  to  set  at  liberty 
them  that  are  bruised,  to  preach  the  acceptable  year 
of  the  Lord,"  he  said,  "This  day  is  this  Scripture 
fulfilled  in  your  ears."  On  his  memorable  journey 
through  Caesarea  -  Philippi,  as  on  other  occasions, 
he  opened  the  Scriptures  unto  his  disciples,  "  show- 
ing how  he  must  suffer  many  things  and  be  killed 
and  be  raised  again  the  third  day."  On  the  night 
of    his    arrest,    when   Peter  would    have    defended 


THE    PERFECT    LAW    OF    LIBERTY.  69 

him,  Jesus  said,  "Put  up  again  thy  sword  into  its 
place  :  Thinkest  thou  that  I  cannot  now  pray  to  my 
Father  and  he  shall  presently  give  me  more  than 
twelve  legions  of  angels  ?  But  how  then  shall  the 
Scriptures  be  fulfilled  that  thus  it  must  be  ?  "  So 
onward  he  went  to  his  cross,  swerving  not  a  hair's 
breadth  from  the  line  of  prophecy  until  he  cried,  "  It 
is  finished  !  "  He  had  reached  his  destination;  he 
had  fulfilled  to  the  last  jot  and  tittle  that  which  had 
been  written  concerning  him. 

And  how  does  this  apply  to  us  ?  Our  destiny  also 
is  in  the  Scriptures.  Here  are  our  Sibylline  leaves. 
We  were  in  God's  mind  when  he  indited  his  Word. 
"  All  Scripture,"  it  is  said,  is  given  by  inspiration  of 
God,  that  the  man  of  God  may  be  perfect,  thoroughly 
furnished  unto  all  good  works."  This  means  that 
God's  Word  is  a  definite  rule  of  conduct  for  every 
right-thinking  man,  to  the  end  that  he  shall  walk  in 
the  way  of  righteousness  and  of  eternal  life. 

The  old  soothsayers  of  the  Orient  use  the  rock- 
crystal  in  telling  fortunes ;  affirming  that  he  who  looks 
intently  into  it  may  see  himself,  dimly  outlined  at  the 
first  but  growing  clearer  and  clearer.  The  Bible  is  our 
rock-crystal.  To  search  the  Scriptures  is  to  find  our 
lives  projected  there.  God  has  declared  therein  his 
purpose  concerning  us.  To  turn  aside  from  that 
prescription  is  to  pass  under  the  bondage  of  sin. 
Our  freedom  is  in  ready  compliance;  our  happiness, 
in  making  God's  Word  ultimate,  saying,  ''  Thus  it  is 
written  of  me." 

II.  Oicr  Lord  was  also  imder  the  dominatmi  of  Duty. 
He  reproved  his  disciples  on  the  way  to  Emmaus,  after 
his  crucifixion,  saying,  "  O  fools  and  slow  of  heart 


70  THE   PERFECT    LAW   OF    LIBERTY. 

to  believe  all  that  the  prophets  have  spoken ;  ought 
not  Christ  to  have  suffered  these  things  and  to  enter 
into  his  glory?"  (Luke  24,  25.) 

He  was  under  the  control  of  that  tremendous  word 
"ought."  The  ethical  imperative  ruled  him.  To 
the  ordinance  of  the  Word,  "Thou  shalt,"  his  con- 
science answered  without  hesitation,  "  I  must!  " 

He  spoke  of  himself  as  having  been  "  sent  "  by  the 
Father  upon  a  definite  errand.  He  said,  when  a  mere 
boy,  "Wist  ye  not  that  I  must  be  about  my  Father's 
business  ?"  later  on,  "I  must  work  the  work  of  him 
that  sent  me  ";  and  again,  "  I  have  a  baptism  that  I 
must  be  baptized  with;  and  how  am  I  straitened  till 
it  be  accomplished !  "  He  was  loyal  to  his  conscience. 
Enough  for  him  that  any  course  of  conduct  was  right ; 
that  ended  all  questioning.  The  objective  point  of  his 
temptation  in  the  wilderness  was  to  turn  him  aside 
from  duty;  buthe  was  unmoved.  His  followers  would 
have  bestowed  upon  him  the  crown  of  Israel;  but 
inasmuch  as  Duty  pointed  to  Calvary,  he  "departed 
again  into  a  mountain  himself  alone."  The  path  was 
plain  before  him  :  therefore  he  set  his  face  steadfastly 
toward  the  cross  and  tarried  not  by  the  way. 

The  application  is  clear.  I  have  a  conscience,  an 
inward  monitor  of  duty.  It  is  indeed  perverted  by 
sin;  it  may  be  seared  by  wrong  habit  as  with  a  hot 
iron;  it  maybe  blinded  and  silenced  by  persistent 
disregard;  but  God  stands  ready  to  correct  it.  He 
who  relies  on  conscience  alone  will  go  astray;  but 
conscience //z^j  prayer  J>liis  God's  word  is  an  infallible 
guide  (James  i,  5).  As  a  watchmaker  adjusts  a 
chronometer,  so  God  regulates  the  individual  con- 
science if  we  desire  it. 


THE   PERFECT   LAW   OF    LIBERTY.  71 

Then  the  line  of  duty  is  plain  before  us.  And  this 
is  the  pathway  of  the  Lord's  free  man.  When  Captain 
Clark  took  "The  Oregon  "  out  of  the  Golden  Gate, 
he  had  a  letter  of  sealed  instructions  as  to  the  vessel's 
course.  He  would  have  betrayed  his  own  manhood 
had  he  said,  "  I  will  not  be  dictated  to;  this  man-of- 
war  shall  become  a  rover  of  the  sea."  He  felt  no 
chafing  of  bonds  in  meeting  the  behest  of  Duty,  but 
sailed  by  compass  and  quadrant  around  the  Horn  to 
Santiago.  Such  is  the  life  of  a  true  man.  He  is 
freest  in  being  and  doing  what  God  through  con- 
science bids  him  be  and  do. 

III.  Moreover  Christ  was  obedient  to  the  Demands  of 
Human  Need.  He  had  heard,  from  his  high  place,  the 
cry  of  suffering  men.  *'  Then  said  I,  Lo,  I  come  (in 
the  volume  of  the  book  it  is  written  of  me),  to  do  thy 
will,  O  God  "  (Heb.  10,  7).  In  other  words,  the 
appeal  of  humanity  laid  a  stern  necessity  upon  him. 

It  is  written  that  once,  when  he  desired  to  reach 
Galilee,  '*  he  must  needs  go  through  Samaria."  The 
shorter  and  more  familiar  road  was  by  the  caravan 
route  along  the  Jordan,  but  he  was  bound  to  go 
through  Samaria  because,  at  the  well  of  Sychar,  a 
sinful  woman  was  waiting  to  receive  the  water  of  life. 
For  a  like  reason  he  must  needs  go  to  Gethsemane, 
where  the  purple  cup  of  anguish  awaited  him.  "  O 
my  Father,  if  it  be  possible,"  he  prayed,  "  let  this  cup 
pass  from  me!  "  But  inasmuch  as  the  suffering  race 
could  be  helped  in  no  other  way,  he  added,  "  O  my 
Father,  if  this  cup  may  not  pass  from  me,  except  I 
drink  it,  thy  will  be  done!  "  So  to  the  very  end  the 
cry  for  help  was  ringing  in  his  ears.  He  must  be 
"lifted  up"  to  answer  it;   for  "as  Moses  lifted  up 


72  THE   PERFECT   LAW   OF    LIBERTY. 

the  serpent  in  the  wilderness,  even  so  must  the  Son  of 
Man  be  lifted  up,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  him 
should  not  perish,  but  have  eternal  life." 

And  again,  what  is  the  application  ?  The  very- 
atmosphere  about  us  is  vibrant  with  cries  of  suffer- 
ing. The  necessity  that  was  laid  upon  Christ  is, 
according  to  the  measure  of  our  ability,  laid  also 
upon  us.  In  his  name  we  are  to  do  good  as  we  have 
opportunity  unto  all  men.  In  his  name  we  are  to 
lift  all  burdens,  break  all  chains  and  bid  the  oppressed 
go  free.  In  his  name  we  are  to  proclaim  the  great 
sacrifice  for  sin.  We  must:  there  is  no  alternative; 
by  all  the  claims  of  fallen  humanity,  this  "must 
needs  be."  It  was  in  such  a  spirit  that  Paul  wrote 
to  the  Corinthians,  "Necessity  is  laid  upon  me; 
yea,  woe  is  me  if  I  preach  not  the  gospel."  To 
pursue  any  other  course  is  to  be  false  to  our  social 
relations.  The  most  joyous  liberty  is  that  of  the 
Christian  philanthropist.  A  cynic  is  a  bondman. 
He  who  lives  for  himself  is  bound  hand  and  foot  with 
adamant.  O  let  me  not  be  held  in  leash  when  the 
thirst-stricken  world  is  appealing  to  me!  I  have 
heard  the  murmur  of  waters  gushing  from  the  Rock 
smitten  at  Calvary:  let  me  run  to  cry,  "Salvation's 
free!" 

IV.  Still  further,  Christ  was  under  constraint  by 
reason  of  His  Own  Nature.  It  is  written,  "God  is 
love";  and  Christ  was  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead 
bodily.  He  was  an  equal  participant  with  his  Father 
in  the  benevolence  that  projected  the  salvation  of  the 
children  of  men. 

In  one  of  Plato's  conversations  with  Socrates,  the 
latter  is  represented  as  saying,  "It  may  be  that  the 


THE   PERFECT    LAW    OF    LIBERTY.  73 

gods  can  forgive  sin ;  but  I  do  not  see  how  it  is  pos- 
sible, since  I  cannot  perceive  why  they  ought  to." 
It  is  true  that  God  is  under  the  domination  of  no 
authority  higher  than  himself;  but  it  is  true  also  that 
the  laws  of  his  own  being  place  an  eternal  necessity 
upon  him.  He  is  a  law  unto  himself;  and  He  is 
love.  The  incarnation,  the  atonement,  the  triumph 
over  death,  the  outpouring  of  the  Spirit,  the  onward 
march  of  events  in  the  setting  up  of  the  kingdom  of 
truth  and  righteousness;  all  these  are  in  evidence  to 
prove  that  God  manifest  in  Christ  is  true  to  himself. 
These  things  must  needs  be  since  Christ  is  God. 

Here  is  the  problem  to  be  solved:  "How  shall 
God  be  just  and  the  justifier  of  the  ungodly  ?"  The 
fact  of  repentance  on  the  sinner's  part  does  not  make 
it  possible  for  God  in  justice  to  forgive  him.  No 
more  does  the  sinner's  reformation,  since  the  turning 
over  a  new  leaf  does  not  blot  out  the  record  of  the 
past.  "  Though  thou  wash  thee  with  nitre  and  take 
much  soap,  yet  thine  iniquity  is  marked  before  me, 
saith  the  Lord."  Nor  is  restitution  or  expiation 
enough.  A  hundred  years  ago  an  old  man  was  seen 
standing  bareheaded  in  the  market-place  of  Uttox- 
eter,  his  face  twitching  with  emotion.  It  was  Dr. 
Samuel  Johnson,  who  sought  in  this  manner  to  atone 
for  an  act  of  boyish  disobedience.  Fifty  years  before, 
he  had  been  asked  by  his  father  to  tend  the  bookstall 
for  an  hour,  but  pride  rebelled  and  he  would  not.  He 
now  sought  to  expiate  that  sin ;  but  the  reparation 
was  obviously  inadequate.  Punishment  does  not  blot 
out  offense  or  change  character.  Hell  itself  cannot 
expiate  sin.  Fire  cannot  burn  it  out.  The  indict- 
ment is  still  against  us. 


74  THE   PERFECT    LAW    OF     LIBERTY. 

What  remains,  then  ?  Nothing  but  Calvary.  The 
love  of  God  suggests  the  cross.  His  only-begotten 
Son  comes  to  be  our  Daysman  that  by  him  we  may 
be  reconciled  with  the  Father  through  a  complete 
satisfaction  of  the  offended  law.  So  it  is  written, 
"He  took  away  the  handwriting  that  was  against 
us  and  nailed  it  to  his  cross."  In  his  death  he  cruci- 
fied our  guilt;  and  it  died. 

Once  more,  the  application.  How  does  Christ's 
example  at  this  point  affect  us  ?  Are  we  not  also 
sons  of  God,  made  in  his  likeness  ?  Is  not  the  only- 
begotten  One  our  Elder-brother  ?  The  love  which  is 
characteristic  of  the  divine  nature  was  implanted  in 
us  before  the  Fall;  and  in  regeneration  it  must 
return  to  us.  "  To  thine  own  self  be  true."  I  cannot 
be  true  to  myself,  certainly  not  true  to  myself  as  a 
follower  of  Christ,  if  I  do  not  enter  into  fellowship 
with  him,  so  far  forth  as  the  limitations  of  my  being 
permit,  in  his  great  sacrifice  for  the  deliverance  of 
men.  Here  is  the  significance  of  his  words,  "  If  any 
man  will  come  after  me,  let  him  deny  himself,  take 
up  his  cross  and  follow  me."  We  cannot  bear 
Christ's  cross,  but  we  can  bear  our  own,  which  is  like 
it;  that  is,  we  can  enter  into  sympathetic  co-opera- 
tion with  him  in  his  work  of  salvation.  Thus  Paul 
writes:  "lam  crucified  with  Christ;  nevertheless  I 
live,  yet  not  I,  but  Christ  liveth  in  me;  and  the  life 
which  I  now  live  in  the  flesh  I  live  by  the  faith  of  the 
Son  of  God,  who  loved  me  and  gave  himself  for  me." 

It  thus  appears  that  our  truest  freedom  is  found 
in  closest  imitation  of  Christ  and  union  with  him. 
"Where  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is,  there  is  liberty." 
The  happiest  man  in  the  world,  because  the  freest, 


THE   PERFECT    LAW    OF   LIBERTY.  75 

is  he  who  follows  most  closely  in  Christ's  steps;  who 
finds  himself  working  most  easily  within  the  boun- 
daries of  his  own  nature.  His  is  the  freedom  of  per- 
fect adjustment  to  perfect  law.  And  whosoever  is 
thus  "called  in  the  Lord  is  the  Lord's  free  man." 

To  live  otherwise  is  to  be  in  bonds;  and  it  means 
unhappiness  here  and  hereafter.  The  case  of  Jean 
Valjean  has  been  aptly  used  as  an  illustration  of  the 
soul's  freedom.  He  had  made  his  escape  from  the 
galleys  and,  while  in  concealment,  learned  that  an 
old  man,  who  resembled  him,  had  been  arrested  in 
his  stead  and  was  awaiting  trial.  Now  came  the 
great  conflict:  should  Valjean  confess  his  identity 
and  return  to  chains?  He  shut  himself  up  in  his 
room  and  reasoned  with  himself.  The  man  under 
arrest  was  old  and  decrepit;  his  suffering  could  only 
be  for  a  little  while.  As  for  himself,  who  would  care 
for  his  ward  Fantine  were  he  to  return  to  the  galleys? 
At  length  he  decided  that  the  self-sacrifice  must  not  be 
made.  "Just  there,"  says  Victor  Hugo,  "  he  heard 
an  internal  burst  of  laughter!  "  It  was  the  laughter 
of  the  soul  at  itself;  the  hideous  laughter  of  the  man's 
baser  self  in  triumph  over  right  and  justice.  But 
the  decision  brought  no  comfort.  Valjean  was  free, 
and  yet  in  the  grip  of  conscience  and  in  the  insuf- 
ferable bondage  of  fear.  He  was  free,  yet  sensible  of 
having  passed  into  captivity  under  sin.  At  length 
his  better  self  made  protest;  he  entered  the  court- 
room and  revealed  his  identity:  "I  am  Jean  Val- 
jean! "  "  Then,"  says  Victor  Hugo,  "  it  was  as  if  a 
great  light  were  shining  there!  "  In  dooming  himself 
to  the  bondage  of  the  galleys,  he  had  entered  into 
the  freedom  of  a  son  of  God.     And  it  is  ever  thus. 


76  THE    PERFECT    LAW    OF    LIBERTY. 

Defiance  of  law  is  self-enslavement.  To  do  right  is 
to  be  free.  There  is  "a  perfect  law  of  liberty";  and 
whosoever  continueth  therein  shall  be  blessed  in  deed. 
The  perfect  law  of  liberty  is  in  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord. 
Let  us  stand  fast,  therefore,  in  the  liberty  wherewith 
Christ  hath  made  us  free;  for  this  is  "  the  glorious 
liberty  of  the  children  of  God." 


THE  PRIVILEGE  OF  THE  STRONG 

"  We  then  that  are  strong  ought  to  bear  the  infirmities  of  the  weak,  and 
not  to  please  ourselves.  Let  every  one  please  his  neighbor  for  his  good  to  edifi- 
cation.   For  even  Christ  pleased  not  himself."— Romans  15,  1-3. 

In  the  life  and  teaching  of  Jesus  a  new  form  was 
given  to  the  principle  of  Love.  It  is  scarcely  fair  to 
say,  as  Uhlhorn  does,  that  "the  world  before  Christ 
was  a  world  without  love. "  Love  was  in  the  world, 
indeed,  but  as  a  vagrant  and  desultory  force,  need- 
ing to  be  organized  and  regulated  before  it  could 
regenerate  society.  It  is  significant  that  in  the  ethics 
of  Aristotle  no  mention  is  made  of  charity  in  the 
catalogue  of  virtues,  Jesus  said,  "A  new  command- 
ment I  give  unto  you,  That  ye  love  one  another."  In 
like  manner  we  speak  of  electricity  as  a  new  form  of 
energy.  The  atmosphere  has  always  been  surcharged 
with  electricity;  but  to  what  purpose?  In  the  clouds 
of  heaven  it  sported  like  a  herd  of  wild  horses  until 
Franklin  came  to  lasso  and  Edison  to  harness  it.  So 
love  Was  always  among  men ;  no  home  nor  hamlet 
was  without  it ;  but  it  remained  for  Christ  to  give  it 
living  form  and  effectiveness.  He  laid  down  the 
Golden  Rule  as  the  basis  of  right  conduct;  and 
ordained  that  mutual  love  should  be  the  sign  of  rec- 
ognition among  his  people,  saying,  *'  By  this  shall  all 
men  know  that  ye  are  my  disciples,  if  ye  have  love 
one  to  another."     This  was  a  new  application  of  an 

(77) 


78  THE   PRIVILEGE    OF    THE    STRONG. 

old  principle,  by  which  the  world  is  ultimately  to  be 
brought  back  to  God. 

On  the  lower  levels  of  life  we  observe  the  operation  of 
a  totally  different  law  j  namely,  the  Survival  of  the 
Fittest.  Here  is  a  continual  struggle  for  life.  If 
you  plant  a  rose  tree  in  the  shadow  of  an  oleander, 
the  rose  tree  will  die  and  the  oleander  will  flourish 
and  fatten  on  its  life.  The  weak  succumbs  to  the 
strong.  The  grip  of  the  strangler  is  upon  all  feeble 
plants  in  field  and  forest.  And  the  same  holds 
true  of  animal  life.  Wolves  rend  in  pieces  a  wounded 
member  of  their  pack.  The  lion  devours  the  lamb, 
and  grows  stronger  by  absorbing  the  strength  of 
the  vanquished.  This  is  brute  selfishness;  and  the 
lower  orders  know  no  higher  law. 

As  we  ascend  into  the  province  of  huma?i  affairs,  we 
should  expect  to  find  a  better  law.  The  familiar  lines 
of  Watts, 

Let  dogs  delight  to  bark   and  bite, 

For  God  hath  made  them  so  ; 
Let  bears  and  lions  growl  and  fight, 

For  'tis  their  nature  to, 

are  the  expression  of  a  reasonable  hope,  since  man 
was  created  in  the  likeness  of  a  gracious  God.  In 
fact,  however,  we  find  the  same  selfish  principle  pre- 
vailing here  as  among  the  lower  orders  of  life. 

The  Survival  of  the  Fittest  has  ever  been  the 
determining  factor  in  international  affairs.  The 
weaker  nations  have  gone  down,  one  by  one,  devoured 
by  the  strong,  until  in  our  time  there  is  a  concentra- 
tion of  authority  in  a  voracious  group  known  as  The 
Great  Powers.  War  is  the  process  by  which  their 
supremacy  has  been  accomplished  and  is  being  kept 


THE    PRIVILEGE    OF    THE    STRONG.  79 

up.  "  War  is  hell,"  said  General  Sherman;  but  what 
of  it  ?  The  monopoly  must  be  maintained.  Will 
you  appeal  to  arbitration  ?  Arbitration  will  work 
only  when  war  is  inexpedient;  that  is,  when  both 
parties  to  the  controversy  are  afraid  to  fight.  Until 
then  we  shall  continue  to  see,  from  time  to  time,  the 
disappearance  of  small  principalities  from  the  map  of 
the  world.  At  this  moment  the  Republic  of  the 
Transvaal  is  serving  forth  the  feast.  The  great 
Carnivora  are  gathered  in  waiting.  A  fortnight  ago 
a  voice  was  lifted  in  the  House  of  Commons  to 
inquire  the  cause  of  the  war.  The  questioner  should 
have  known  that  war  requires  no  cause.  "  Thou 
wilt  quarrel  with  a  man,"  said  Romeo,  "  for  cracking 
nuts,  having  no  other  reason  than  because  thou  hast 
hazel  eyes."  Cause  or  no  cause,  there  must  be  blood 
so  long  as  there  is  lust  of  power.  The  weak  must  die; 
the  "Fittest  "  only  can  be  permitted  to  live.  And  thus 
they  gather  about  the  Transvaal — beasts  like  those 
which  Daniel  saw  in  his  vision — the  Lion,  the  Russian 
Bear,  the  black  Eagle  of  the  War  Lord  and  the 
double-headed  Vulture  of  Austria,  waiting  to  divide 
the  spoil.  The  strong  must  wax  fat  on  the  carcass 
of  the  weak.  Let  the  drums  beat  and  the  cannon 
roar;  let  fleets  furrow  the  sea  and  armies  traverse  the 
earth.  Might  makes  right.  The  strong  must  grow 
stronger  by  forcing  the  weaker  to  the  wall. 

The  same  rule  is  prevalent  in  our  political  life. 
We  are  at  this  moment  in  the  midst  of  a  local  cam- 
paign in  which  no  man's  character  is  above  vitupera- 
tion. "All's  fair  in  politics. "  Victory  must  be  won 
by  hook  or  by  crook.  Down  with  the  candidate  of 
the   opposing  party  at  all  hazards.       Vae  viciis !     A 


8o  THE   PRIVILEGE    OF    THE   STRONG. 

few  years  ago,  one  of  the  purest  and  most  dis- 
tinguished of  our  citizens  passed  through  a  hot  cam- 
paign as  a  candidate  for  the  highest  office  in  the 
gift  of  the  American  people,  suffered  defeat,  and  died 
within  a  month  afterward — died  of  very  shame  under 
the  charge  of  a  hundred  crimes  and  vices  that  he  had 
never  dreamed  of.  If  charity  is  out  of  the  question, 
we  should  at  least  expect  a  semblance  of  justice; 
but  justice  is  not  a  perceptible  factor  in  the  problem. 
It  was  for  this  reason  that  Dr.  Samuel  Johnson,  when 
asked  to  take  part  in  a  political  controversy,  replied, 
"God  forbid!  I  should  as  soon  a  man  would  break 
my  bones  as  inveigle  me  into  any  participation  in  the 
affairs  of  the  state." 

And  what  shall  be  said  of  our  industrial  life  ?  We 
are  troubled  just  now  on  account  of  trusts  and  mo- 
nopolies. In  a  recent  conversation  with  an  enterpris- 
ing ''promoter,"  whose  character  in  commercial 
circles  is  above  reproach,  I  inquired,  *'  Do  you 
receive  into  your  combinations  all  who  are  engaged 
in  a  particular  branch  of  industry  ?  "  To  which  he 
answered,  "  O  no;  only  those  that  promise  a  profit- 
able outcome."  "  And  what  becomes  of  the  others  ?" 
"They  die."  This  is  the  inevitable  result.  Our 
strong  manufacturers  are  swallowing  the  weak.  Our 
great  "department  stores"  are  eating  up  the  shop- 
keepers. One  of  Shakespeare's  simpletons  asks,  "I 
marvel  how  the  fishes  do  live  in  the  sea  ?  "  To  which 
the  master  answers,  "Why,  as  men  do  a'land;  the 
great  ones  eat  up  the  little  ones.  I  can  compare 
them  to  nothing  so  fitly  as  to  a  whale ;  he  plays  and 
tumbles,  driving  the  fry  before  him  and  at  last 
devours  them  all  at  a  mouthful.     Such  whales  have  I 


THE   PRIVILEGE    OF   THE   STRONG.  OI 

heard  of  on  the  land,  who  never  leave  gaping  until 
they've  swallowed  the  whole  parish — church,  steeple, 
bells  and  all."  It  is  this  voracious  spirit  that  has 
driven  labor  to  the  sweat-shops  and  aroused  on  every 
hand  a  murmur  of  anxiety  and  ominous  discontent. 
It  is  not  in  human  nature  to  live  in  perpetual  dread 
of  an  octopus  without  an  effort  to  destroy  it.  The 
figure  of  the  octopus  is  well  chosen,  since  Monopoly, 
clouding  the  waters  with  its  exudation  of  selfishness, 
reaches  out  prehensile  tentacles  toward  all  honest 
industries  and,  one  by  one,  gathers  them  in. 

And  Labor  Unions  are  but  a  complementary 
development  on  the  other  side.  Strikes  and  lock- 
outs, boycotts  and  monopolies  are  various  phases  of 
a  common  greed.  They  all  alike  express  the  tyranny 
of  strength.  What  is  to  become  of  that  brave  little 
lady,  Mrs.  Polly  McGrail  of  Paterson,  who  has  thrice 
been  waylaid  on  her  way  to  the  factory  for  no  other 
reason  than  because  she  was  determined  to  put  bread 
into  her  baby's  mouth  ?  She  must  go  down.  The 
**  Strike  "  decrees  it.  The  combination  must  survive; 
and  it  can  only  survive  by  the  downfall  of  personal 
independence.  Selfishness  must  have  its  way.  And 
what  shall  be  said  against  it  ?  Will  you  lift  up  a 
protesting  voice  in  "the  bear  pit"  at  the  Stock 
Exchange?  Cease  your  clamor,  gentlemen,  long 
enough, to  answer  this:  Did  you  ever  hear  of  the 
Golden  Rule  ?  Ah,  there  you  go  again,  wild  for  a 
bargain.  Cease  for  a  moment  and  hearken  to  this 
word:  Shall  not  the  strong  bear  the  infirmities  of  the 
weak?  Vae  victis  !  Every  one  for  himself.  A  man's 
only  hope  of  success  is  in  getting  the  better  of  the 
other  man, 


82  THE    PRIVILEGE   OF    THE   STRONG. 

In  society  as  now  constituted  there  are  three 
classes  :  First ;  the  Upper  Ten  Thousand,  among 
whom  there  are  some  noble  and  magnanimous  souls. 
But  there  is  a  contingent  familiarly  known  as  the 
"Smart  Set,"  who  give  themselves  up  to  a  flagrant 
violation  of  the  sanctions  and  amenities  of  respectable 
life.  They  are  for  the  most  part  descendants  of 
honest  handicraftsmen  ;  but  their  chiefest  ambition 
is  to  get  to  the  top  where  they  can  look  down  on 
butchers  and  bakers  and  candlestick-makers.  They 
spend  their  lives  in  luxurious  dissipation,  regardless 
of  the  world's  demands.  In  a  lull  of  their  revels 
there  is  heard  a  voice  from  without,  "Pity,  kind 
gentleman,  friends  of  humanity;  cold  blows  the 
wind  and  the  night's  coming  on!"  But  who  cares? 
On  with  the  dance!  Wherein  do  these  differ  from 
the  brute  creation  ?  In  no  wise;  since  their  only  law 
is  brute  law.  Second ;  the  lapsed  masses,  weak,  crim- 
inal or  poverty-stricken,  ever  crying  for  help.  Third; 
the  Third  Estate;  the  honorable  working  class;  pro- 
ducers, who  form  the  real  strength  and  substance 
of  our  civil  and  social  life.  These  are  engaged  from 
day  to  day  in  keeping  the  wolf  from  the  door  and  in 
minding  their  own  business. 

Between  these  classes  there  is  a  great  gulf  fixed; 
and  about  that  gulf  is  gathered  a  multitude  of 
thoughtful  men  and  women  engaged  in  the  discussion 
of  "sociological  problems."  They  have  gotten  hold 
of  an  unmanageable  force.  They  believe  in  love,  in 
charity,  in  universal  sympathy;  but  the  odds  are 
tremendously  against  them.  Here  is  the  law  of 
nature,  the  Survival  of  the  Fittest:  and  what  can 
sentiment  do  in  a  hand-to-hand   struggle  with  this 


THE   PRIVILEGE    OF    THE   STRONG.  83 

grim  law  ?  How  long  will  it  take  these  doctrinaires 
to  oust  the  prevalent  spirit  and  better  the  universal 
order  of  things  ?  Plato  faced  the  problem  and  con- 
cluded that  "beggars  must  be  driven  out  and  the 
sick  must  not  be  ministered  to  but  suffered  to  die." 
It  was  a  cry  of  despair.  The  best  that  secular  phi- 
lanthropy can  do  is  to  suggest  a  local  application,  a 
plaster,  to  hold  the  edges  of  the  wound  together  in 
the  hope  that  it  may  sometime  knit  of  itself.  It  is 
not  within  the  range  of  human  power  to  loose  the 
tremendous  grip  of  selfishness  or  expel  the  ills  that 
human  flesh  is  heir  to. 

But  here  comes  Jesus  the  Christ;  and  he  brings 
with  him  a  formulation  of  love  in  the  Golden  Rule, 
*'  Whatsoever  ye  would  that  men  should  do  unto  you, 
do  ye  even  so  unto  them;"  a  rule  which  finds  an 
exposition  in  the  words  of  our  text,  "  We  then  that 
are  strong  ought  to  bear  the  infirmities  of  the  weak." 
He  furnishes  in  himself  the  best  illustration  of  that 
rule.  No  other  life  was  ever  recorded  so  eloquently 
as  his,  in  the  brief  monograph,  "  He  went  about 
doing  good."  No  other  ever  found  so  blessed  a  con- 
summation as  his,  upon  the  cross.  Here  is  God's 
protest  against  the  Survival  of  the  Fittest.  It  is  the 
Fittest  that  dies,  in  order  that  the  unfit  may  survive. 
And,  having  thus  laid  in  his  own  blood  the  founda- 
tions of  a.  new  dispensation  of  universal  love  and 
helpfulness,  he  sent  forth  a  summons  to  all  like- 
minded  with  himself,  "Follow  me!  Follow  me  in 
the  setting  up  of  a  kingdom  of  love  in  the  world, — a 
kingdom  in  which  every  man  shall  minister  to  the 
weaker  man,  in  which  ye  shall  find  life  by  losing  it 
and  serve  God  in  caring  for  your  fellows."   Thus  the 


84  THE  PRIVILEGE    OF    THE    STRONG. 

Christian  Church  was  instituted.  It  is  a  living, 
growing,  triumphing  challenge  to  the  Law  of  Selfish- 
ness. The  strong  Son  of  God  leads  the  way  and  all 
who  desire  a  reversal  of  the  natural  order  in  the  sub- 
stitution of  love  for  selfishness  are  exhorted  to  fall 
in  and  follow  him. 

The  Church  is  a  socialistic  body  whose  members  are 
expected  to  "do  good  unto  all  men,  especially  unto 
them  who  are  of  the  household  of  faith."  It  is  a 
mutual-help  society.  Its  pagan  enemies  said,  "Behold, 
how  these  Christians  love  one  another."  If  one  of 
this  company  be  overtaken  in  a  fault,  what  then  ? 
The  world  would  say,  "Out  with  him!  Away  with 
him!"  But  the  law  of  Christ  says,  "Ye  who  are 
spiritual,  restore  such  an  one  in  the  spirit  of  meek- 
ness." Lend  a  hand!  Strengthen  ye  the  feeble 
knees  and  lift  up  the  hands  that  are  fallen  down. 
There  is  no  socialism  in  the  world  so  true  or  so 
manifest  as  Christian  Socialism. 

"We  share  our  mutual  woes, 
Our  mutual  burdens  bear; 
And  often  for  each  other  flows 
The  sympathizing  tear." 

The  Church  is  also  a  charitable  institution  ;  it  has  to 
do  not  only  with  the  welfare  of  its  own  members,  but 
of  all  men.  A  true  Christian  bears  in  one  hand  a 
sword  and  in  the  other  a  trowel ;  with  the  sword  he 
fights  to  destroy  the  works  of  the  devil ;  and  with 
the  trowel  he  builds  up  the  fabric  of  universal  love. 
Reform  is  his  watchword.  I  say  without  fear  of 
challenge,  that  the  Church  stands  in  the  forefront  of 
all  beneficent  enterprises  to-day.  Our  schools,  hos- 
pitals, reformatories  and  philanthropic  institutions  of 


THE    PRIVILEGE    OF    THE    STRONG.  85 

every  sort  have  the  patronage  of  the  church  behind 
them.  Her  kindly  offices  are  like  God's  rain  from 
heaven  which  falleth  upon  the  just  and  upon  the 
unjust.  It  is  recopded  by  Cyprian  that  in  the  pesti- 
lence which  prevailed  at  Carthage  in  his  time,  the 
heathen  were  amazed  at  the  magnanimity  of  Chris- 
tians who,  while  others  fled  in  terror,  remained  to 
minister  to  those  who  had  persecuted  them.  One  of 
their  proverbs  was,  "A  stranger  is  a  wolf";  but  of 
these  Christians  they  said,  "Behold,  they  treat  their 
enemies  as  if  they  loved  them."  It  is  ever  the  part 
of  the  followers  of  Christ  to  succor  the  common 
needs  of  humanity,  and  to  make  the  world,  as  they 
pass  through  it,  a  better  place  to  live  in. 

But  the  Church  is  more  thafi  this ;  it  is  an  arjny  of 
conquest^  going  forth  in  the  interest  of  the  Lord 
Christ  to  capture  all  sinning,  suffering  men,  as 
prisoners  of  hope,  and  to  offer  them  in  his  Name 
not  merely  temporal  comfort  but  an  entrance  into 
spiritual  and  eternal  life.  This  is  the  basis  and 
rationale  of  her  great  missionary  enterprises.  It  is 
not  to  be  expected  that  the  world  should  sympathize 
at  this  point  with  the  followers  of  Christ.  But  if  they 
are  true  to  their  Master,  they  must  come  up  to  this 
world-wide  view.  I  see  a  man  bending  over  one  slain 
in  the  open  field;  and  I  hear  a  voice  calling,  "  Cain, 
where  is  thy  brother  ?  "  He  answers,  "I  know  not; 
am  I  my  brother's  keeper?"  which  being  translated 
into  modern  phrase  is  this,  "  Charity  begins  at  home; 
I  do  not  believe  in  your  Foreign  Missions."  Thus 
reasons  the  world.  But  I  see  another,  bending  over 
one  who  has  been  waylaid  by  robbers  and  left  for 
dead;  he  is  binding  up  his  wounds  and  ministering 


86  THE   PRIVILEGE    OF    THE    STRONG, 

to  him;  and  I  hear  a  voice  saying,  *'  Go  and  do  thou 
likewise ;  be  neighbor  unto  every  man  ;  "  which  is  the 
rudimental  form  of  our  great  Commission,  *'  Go  ye 
into  all  the  world  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every 
creature." 

It  is  in  pursuance  of  this  Commission  that  we 
send  our  missionaries  to  those  who  dwell  in  the 
regions  of  darkness  and  in  the  shadow  of  death. 
We  have  no  alternative.  We  are  the  strong  and 
they  are  the  weak.  It  is  for  us  as  the  "fittest"  to 
see  that  they  shall  survive.  We  are  interested  in 
their  civilization,  but  this  is  not  the  ultimate  aim. 
We  send  teachers  to  instruct  them ;  master-workmen 
to  familiarize  them  with  the  instruments  of  honest 
labor;  physicians  to  heal  their  diseases;  zenana 
visitors  to  inculcate  the  domestic  virtues;  all  this 
and  more  —  much  more.  The  great  purpose  of 
Missions  is  not  to  civilize  but  to  evangelize.  There 
is  no  balm  in  Gilead  for  sinners  but  the  blood  of 
Jesus  Christ.  If  a  man  be  converted  to  Christ,  he 
will  naturally  put  on  the  common  virtues  of  indus- 
trial and  domestic  life  and  will  surely  rise  in  the 
social  scale.  But,  by  so  much  as  eternity  is  longer 
than  time,  by  so  much  is  it  more  important  that 
we  should  preach  Christ  as  the  Saviour  than  as  a 
mere  Helper  in  temporal  need.  The  sympathy  of 
the  world  is  not  to  be  expected  here;  for  the  law  of 
the  world  is  the  Survival  of  the  Fittest,  while  the  law 
of  Christ  is  the  survival  of  the  weak  and  unfit  by  the 
self-denial  of  the  strong. 

We  are  the  strong.  To  us  has  come  the  great 
salvation.  In  Christ  our  past  is  forgotten  and  our 
future  glorified. 


THE    PRIVILEGE    OF    THE   STRONG.  87 

Shall  we  whose  souls  are  lighted 

With  wisdom  from  on  high, 
Shall  we  to  men  benighted 

The  lamp  of  life  deny? 
Salvation  !  O  salvation  ! 

The  joyful  sound  proclaim, 
Till  earth's  remotest  nation 

Has  learned  Messiah's  name. 

Of  those  who  went  forth  from  Arthur's  Round- 
Table  in  quest  of  the  Holy  Grail,  all  failed  save  one, 
who  came  at  length  upon  a  stranger  dying  of  thirst. 
He  placed  the  cup  of  cold  water  to  his  lips,  and,  lo, 
in  that  act  of  charity,  the  wooden  vessel  was  trans- 
muted into  gold.  He  had  found  the  sacred  chalice! 
No  man  has  discovered  the  philosophy  of  Christ  who 
has  not  caught  his  spirit  of  magnanimity;  who  does 
not  rejoice  in  doing  good  as  he  has  opportunity  unto 
all  men.  It  was  for  this  that  Christ  came  into  the 
world.  It  was  for  this  that  he  emptied  himself  of 
heaven's  wealth  that  we,  through  his  poverty,  might 
be  made  rich.  It  was  for  this  that  he  climbed  up 
Calvary  with  our  sins  upon  his  breaking  heart. 
"Come  down  from  the  cross,"  they  cried,  "if  thou 
be  the  Son  of  God!"  Nay;  it  was  because  he  was 
the  Son  of  God  that  he  could  not  come  down.  As 
the  Strong,  he  must  die  for  the  weak.  Of  all  in 
earth  and  heaven  he  was  the  Fittest;  and  through 
his  self-denial  the  unfit  must  live.  Let  the  mind 
which  was  in  Christ  Jesus  be  also  in  us.  Let  us  bear 
the  infirmities  of  the  weak,  because  he  bore  ours.  Let 
us  reach  forth  the  helping  hand,  because  his  arm  was 
made  bare  for  us.  This  is  the  privilege  of  the  strong: 
"  Let  every  one  please  his  neighbor  for  his  good  to 
edification  ;  for  even  Christ  pleased  not  himself." 


THE  SCARLET  THREAD 

*'  Behold,  when  we  come  into  the  land,  thou  shalt  bind  this  line  of  scarlet 
thread  in  the  window." — Joshua  2,  18. 

The  Israelites  were  encamped  on  the  border  of 
the  promised  land.  Two  spies  were  sent  over  to 
Jericho,  "the  key  city  "  of  the  country.  They  put  up 
at  an  inn  kept  by  Rahab,  a  woman  with  a  clouded 
past.  The  king  of  Jericho,  who  had  received  an  inti- 
mation of  their  coming,  sent  officers  to  apprehend 
them;  but  the  woman  hid  her  guests  under  a  heap  of 
flax  on  the  housetop  until  nightfall;  then  she  let 
them  down  through  a  window  and  so  effected  their 
escape.  In  bidding  them  farewell  she  avowed  her 
faith  in  the  God  of  Israel  and  asked  an  assurance  of 
safety  in  return  for  her  timely  help.  "Our  life  for 
yours,"  they  answered,  "if  ye  utter  not  this  our 
business;  and  when  the  Lord  hath  given  us  the  land, 
we  will  deal  kindly  and  truly  with  thee."  The  token 
of  this  covenant  was  a  line  of  scarlet  thread  which 
she  was  enjoined  to  bind  in  her  window  when  the 
city  was  taken.  "So  they  returned  and  came  to 
Joshua  and  told  him  all  things  that  had  befallen 
them." 

To  defend  the  character  of  this  woman  would  be 
a  difficult  task  and  quite  unnecessary.  She  was  an 
alien,  a  Canaanite  with  a  smirched  reputation.     She 

(88) 


THE    SCARLET    THREAD.  89 

lied  to  the  officers  of  the  king  with  the  utmost  ease 
and  nonchalance  and  was  withal  a  most  unpromising 
sort  of  person.  But  the  Scriptures  do  not  justify  her 
faults.  Let  him  that  is  without  sin  cast  the  first 
stone  at  her.  If  God's  mercies  were  withheld  because 
of  sin,  the  best  among  us  would  be  badly  off. 

"Ah,  grace,  into  unlikeliest  hearts 
It  is  thy  boast  to  come ; 
The  glory  of  thy  light  to  find 
In  darkest  spots  a  home." 

There  is  this  however  to  be  said  for  Rahab;  in  this 
matter  she  acted  up  to  her  light,  and  she  improved 
as  time  went  on.  Afterwards  she  became  a  mother 
in  the  household  of  Israel  and  is  mentioned  as  an 
ancestor  of  Christ. 

Our  attention  is  particularly  directed  to  this  scar- 
let thread  as  a  symbol  of  faith.  It  is  obvious  that 
the  thread  itself  had  no  value;  it  was  merely  the 
token  of  the  covenant  between  the  spies  and  this 
woman,  in  which  she  threw  herself  upon  their  mercy 
by  virtue  of  her  belief  in  their  God. 

1.  Her  confession  of  faith  was  very  simple^  but  clear 
as  a  crystal:  **The  Lord  your  God,  he  is  God  in 
heaven  above  and  in  the  earth  beneath."  It  was  de- 
cidedly to  her  credit  that  she  believed  something.  A 
man  in  traversing  the  great  circle  of  spiritual  truth 
should  .be  able  to  pause  somewhere  and  say,  "Here 
I  stand."  It  is  to  be  feared  that  many  who  sit  at 
God's  table  sample  everything  and  dine  on  nothing. 
Credo  is  a  word  of  tremendous  importance  to  all  who 
live  earnestly;  for  "  as  a  man  thinketh  in  his  heart, 
so  is  he." 

2.  This   woman's    creed    was  founded  on  hearsay: 


go  THE    SCARLET    THREAD. 

"We  have  heard,"  she  said,  "  how  the  Lord  dried 
up  the  water  of  the  Red  Sea  for  you,  when  ye  came 
out  of  Egypt;  and  what  ye  did  unto  the  two  kings 
of  the  Amorites  whom  ye  utterly  destroyed."  It  is 
a  very  shallow  philosophy  that  rules  out  such  evi- 
dence. We  are  disposed  nowadays  to  put  every" 
thing  to  the  test  of  fire,  acid  and  litmus  paper;  but 
spiritual  truth  cannot  be  demonstrated  in  that  way. 
Faith  rests  on  reliable  hearsay  as  to  facts  which  lie 
beyond  the  province  of  the  senses.  By  faith  a  child 
lives  on  its  parents'  bounty,  quite  ignorant  as  to 
where  its  daily  bread  is  coming  from,  but  not  lying 
awake  at  night  through  anxiety.  By  faith  a  skipper 
sails  his  ship,  loaded  with  a  valuable  cargo,  under 
the  direction  of  nautical  tables  drawn  up  by  experts 
whose  names  he  never  heard,  in  pursuance  of  mathe- 
matical laws  wholly  unknown  to  him.  By  faith  a 
passenger  enters  a  railway  train,  takes  his  seat,  un- 
folds his  newspaper  and  expects  to  be  carried  to  his 
destination  by  an  engineer  whom  he  assumes  to  be 
at  his  post,  though  for  his  life  he  could  not  prove  it. 
By  faith  men  invest  their  money  in  Klondike  claims 
on  a  current  rumor  that  gold  has  been  unearthed  in 
those  parts.  By  faith  the  farmer  yokes  his  horses  to 
the  plow  and  scatters  grain  in  the  furrows,  assuming 
that  a  law  of  germination,  which  he  cannot  explain, 
will  accomplish  what  it  is  reputed  to  have  done  in 
former  years.  By  faith  men  eat  and  drink,  despite 
the  fact  that  food  and  water  are  full  of  malignant 
germs,  hoping  for  survival  because  others  have  lived 
after  eating  and  drinking.  By  faith  men  in  sickness 
put  themselves  into  the  hands  of  other  men  who 
have  won  the  title  "Doctor  of  Medicine,"  which  is 


THE   SCARLET    THREAD.  9I 

nothing  more  than  a  voucher  given  by  a  competent 
faculty  of  instructors.  By  faith  the  most  undevout 
of  men  lies  down  and  commits  himself  to  sleep, 
knowing  that  the  air  is  filled  with  flying  arrows 
and  that  the  pestilence  walketh  in  darkness,  thus 
acknowledging  his  belief  in  a  God  over  all. 

3.  But  RahaFs  faith,  while  resting  on  hearsay,  was 
wholly  reasonable.  It  is  a  misapprehension  to  suppose 
that  there  is  any  antagonism  between  faith  and  reason. 
The  real  antagonism,  if  there  be  any,  is  between  the 
testimony  of  faith  and  that  of  the  senses.  All  things 
are  under  the  ultimate  jurisdiction  of  reason,  whether 
they  be  in  the  province  of  material  or  spiritual 
things.  God  has  never  asked  us  to  accept  any  dic- 
tum which  is  contra-rational ;  though  we  are  bound 
to  believe  many  things  which  are  supra-rational,  in 
the  necessity  of  the  case.  If  God  could  be  com- 
prehended by  the  finite,  he  would,  by  that  token, 
straightway  cease  to  be  God.  But  all  truth  rests  on 
evidence.  The  evidence  of  the  five  senses  is  con- 
clusive in  the  demonstration  of  material  facts;  and 
equally  conclusive  is  the  testimony  of  faith,  the  sixth 
sense,  with  reference  to  spiritual  things. 

4.  The  creed  of  Rahab  was  e??iinently  practical. 
It  bore  immediate  fruit  in  the  hiding  of  the  spies. 
For  this  she  receives  honorable  mention  in  the  roll- 
call  of  heroes  in  the  Eleventh  of  Hebrews:  "By  faith 
Rahab  the  harlot  perished  not  with  them  that  believed 
not,  when  she  had  received  the  spies  in  peace."  She  is 
mentioned  also  in  James's  argument  for  the  invalidity 
of  faith  without  works:  "  Was  not  Rahab  the  harlot 
justified  by  works  when  she  had  received  the  spies 
and  sent  them  out  another  way?  "     Both  statements 


92  THE   SCARLET    THREAD. 

are  true  and  there  is  no  discrepancy;  for  "faith  with- 
out works  is  dead."  A  dead  man  is  no  man  at  all. 
The  evidence  of  genuine  faith  is  in  the  works  which 
proceed  from  it. 

5.  The  faith  of  Rahab  was  duly  rewarded.  Not 
only  was  her  life  and  that  of  her  household  spared  in 
the  taking  of  the  city;  but  being  converted  to  the 
true  religion,  she  was  received  by  honorable  marriage 
into  the  princely  line  of  Israel,  and  became  the 
mother  of  Boaz  and  the  great-great-grandmother  of 
David.  Her  name  is  found  in  the  genealogy  of 
Christ  (Matt,  i,  5). 

We  are  living  in  an  age  of  doubt.  Materialism  is 
the  prevailing  philosophy.  The  common  thinker  is 
an  agnostic;  nor  can  it  be  otherwise  until  he  consents 
to  receive  the  testimony  of  faith  as  to  spiritual 
things.  No  man  can  call  himself  an  honest  doubter 
unless  he  argues  within  the  prescribed  limits  of 
honest  thought.  The  cloud  which  hung  over  the 
tabernacle  in  ancient  Israel  was  reputed  to  be  the 
mystic  symbol  of  the  divine  presence.  Let  us  sup- 
pose that  a  man  wished  to  satisfy  himself  concerning 
that  fact ;  how  would  he  set  about  it  ?  To  investi- 
gate the  laws  governing  the  precipitation  of  moisture 
or  to  subject  the  phenomenon  to  any  of  the  known 
principles  of  science  would  have  led  him  into  further 
bewilderment.  The  only  way  out  of  his  difficulty 
was  to  bow  down  in  the  tabernacle  and  address  him- 
self to  the  God  who  had  promised  to  speak  to  his 
people  from  the  midst  of  the  cloud.  In  like  manner 
an  honest  doubter  will  call  upon  God  who  is  the 
author  and  revealer  of  all  spiritual  truth.  Prayer 
leads  to  conviction.     This  is  the  promise:    "If  any 


THE    SCARLET    THREAD.  93 

of  you  lack  wisdom,  let  him  ask  of  God  who  giveth 
to  all  men  liberally  and  upbraideth  not,  and  it  shall 
be  given  him." 

The  important  thing  is  to  believe  in  something.  A 
creedless  man  is  like  a  ship  without  a  compass. 
"Belief  "  is  said  to  be  from  by-lifian,  meaning  "  the 
thing  we  live  by."  Get  hold  of  something,  my  friend, 
of  which  you  may  say,  "This  I  believe."  A  small 
conviction  is  like  a  grain  of  mustard  seed,  which  is 
indeed  the  least  of  all  seeds;  but  it  is  a  vital  and 
therefore  a  growing  thing.  Be  anything  but  an 
agnostic.  A  spot  of  terrra  firma  only  large  enough 
to  stand  on  is  infinitely  better  than  no  standing  room 
at  all. 

The  right  starting  point  is  at  Calvary,  Here  is 
where  God  reveals  himself  to  men.  And  "this  is  life 
eternal,  to  know  God  and  Jesus  Christ  whom  he  hath 
sent;"  that  is,  to  know  God  as  he  has  revealed  him- 
self in  his  only-begotten  Son.  The  faith  of  Rahab 
was  founded  on  testimony  as  to  what  God  had  done 
at  Pi-hahiroth  on  the  border  of  the  sea.  At  Calvary 
he  has  manifested  his  grace  and  power  in  still 
stronger  light.  Here  he  parts  the  waters  that  our 
sinful  race  may  pass  through  to  the  heavenly  land. 
Do  you  believe  that  ?  If  so,  you  have  laid  the  foun- 
dation of  a  faith,  on  the  testimony  of  Scripture, 
fortified  by  the  experience  of  an  innumerable  com- 
pany of  witnesses,  on  which  you  may  erect  a  fabric 
of  character  which  is  certain  to  make  your  life  tell 
for  God  and  your  fellow  men. 

A  simple  faith  in  God  as  he  has  revealed  himself 
in  the  great  atonement  is  of  inestimable  value  in  the 
discharge  of  common  duty.     A  company  of  worknien 


94  THE    SCARLET    THREAD. 

engaged  in  digging  a  tunnel  were  shut  off  suddenly 
from  the  upper  world  by  a  caving  in  of  the  earth. 
At  once  their  comrades  set  about  their  rescue.  When 
they  reached  the  endangered  men  they  found  them 
busy  with  pick  and  shovel  at  their  usual  task.  "  We 
were  not  worried,"  they  said;  "we  knew  you  would 
come  and  help  us."  Thus  it  is  with  people  who  truly 
believe  in  God ;  they  may  be  hemmed  in  by  darkness, 
but  they  keep  right  on  with  their  work,  stimulated 
and  enheartened  by  their  faith  in  God. 

So  also  in  the  hour  of  adversity.  Pain,  sorrow, 
tribulation  cannot  arrest  the  courage  or  suppress  the 
hope  of  those  who  truly  believe.  Why  does  a  child 
in  the  cradle  sleep  amid  the  beating  storm  and  the 
rolling  thunder  ?  Because  the  mother's  foot  is  on 
the  rocker.  So  safe  are  we,  if  we  have  faith  in  the 
great  Father  who  cares  for  us. 

Not  even  temptation  can  appall  the  man  who  has 
rightly  apprehended  this  truth.  A  correspondent 
of  the  London  News,  arrested  as  a  spy  at  the  siege  of 
Metz,  was  arraigned  before  a  military  court  amid 
the  fierce  cries  of  the  soldiery,  "  Death  to  the  spy!  " 
The  commanding  officer  said,  "You  see  their  pur- 
pose; how  does  it  strike  you  ?  "  The  correspondent 
replied,  "It  strikes  me  as  sheer  foolishness.  I  am 
an  Englishman  and  the  power  of  my  government  is 
behind  me."  We  fail  in  resisting  temptation  only 
when  we  forget  that  God  stands  surety  for  us.  He 
has  promised ;  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail 
against  you.  Therefore  all  sin  is  by  default  of 
faith.  We  are  safe  so  long  as  the  vital  current  is 
unbroken,  so  long  as  our  confidence  holds  out. 
**God   is   pur  refuge  and   strength;  therefore  will 


THE   SCARLET    THREAD.  95 

we  not  fear  though  the  earth  be  removed  and 
though  the  mountains  be  carried  into  the  midst  of 
the  sea. " 

And  faith  is  our  refuge  at  life's  end.  "Yea, 
though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of 
death,  I  will  fear  no  evil ;  for  thou  art  with  me,  thy 
rod  and  thy  staff  they  comfort  me." 

The  time  came  when  Jericho  was  under  siege. 
There  were  no  catapults  nor  enginery  of  war;  there 
was  no  assault  nor  storming  of  the  gates.  Round 
and  round  went  the  army,  in  solemn  procession,  led 
by  the  priests  blowing  on  rams'  horns.  In  the  city 
were  many  unbelievers  who  scoffed  at  the  strange 
proceeding;  but  there  was  one  woman  who,  having 
hung  the  scarlet  thread  from  her  window,  kept  within 
doors  and  awaited  the  issue.  On  the  seventh  day 
came  the  tumultuous  shouting:  the  great  walls 
rocked  and  reeled,  and  down  they  came!  The 
invaders  were  in  the  streets  shouting,  slaying  and 
looting.  But  the  word  had  been  given,  "Spare  the 
house  where  the  scarlet  thread  hangs  from  the  win- 
dow." The  soldiers  saw  that  pledge  of  their  covenant 
and  honored  it;  as  it  is  written,  "By  faith  Rahab 
perished  not  with  them  that  believed  not." 

Only  believe.  There  was  no  intrinsic  virtue  in  the 
scarlet  thread,  but  immeasurable  value  in  the  cove- 
nant for  which  it  stood.  Faith  of  itself  is  impotent; 
but  in  the  covenant  of  grace  it  is  "  imputed  unto  us 
for  righteousness;"  and  God's  covenant  holdeth 
sure.  "  He  that  believeth  shall  be  saved."  Faith, 
as  the  instrument  of  salvation  by  divine  ordinance, 
brings  us  into  vital  union  with  God.  Why  will  a 
Struggling  swimmer  in  Niagara  choose  rather  a  rope 


g6  THE    SCARLET    THREAD. 

thrown  to  his  rescue  than  a  boat  drifting  down  the 
river  ?  Only  because  he  knows  the  rope  is  held  by 
one  on  ^erra  firnia  who  has  power  to  save  him.  In 
like  manner  we  place  ourselves  in  divine  power  by 
faith.  Therefore,  it  is  written,  *'  Thy  faith  hath 
saved  thee." 

It  is  not  enough  that  we  should  have  an  intellectual 
apprehension  of  God  or  of  redemption  as  an  objective 
fact.  We  must  accept  the  truth  and  make  it  ours,  so 
that  God  shall  be  our  God  and  Christ  our  personal 
Saviour  from  sin.  In  one  of  Baxter's  sermons  he 
imagines  Christ  coming  into  the  congregation  and 
saying,  **  I  have  a  beautiful  kingdom  at  the  antipodes 
whither  I  am  willing  to  convey  you  all ;  and  my  ship 
is  in  the  harbor."  Now  what  will  you  do?  Go  down 
to  the  docks  and  admire  the  beautiful  lines  of  the 
ship,  the  tapering  masts,  the  fair  canvas?  Nay  ;  you 
will  get  aboard  with  all  haste  and  sail  away  with 
him.  This  is  the  part  of  reason :  not  to  look  on  Christ 
and  his  sacrifice  merely  as  a  portentous  fact  in  his- 
tory, but  to  receive  him  and  his  sacrifice  as  our 
deliverance  from  sin. 

I  exhort  you  therefore  to  accept  Christ  here  and 
now.  "  To  as  many  as  received  him,  to  them  gave  he 
power  to  become  the  sons  of  God."  All  other  means 
of  salvation  are  vain.  The  virtues  of  character  have 
their  value;  but  as  means  of  salvation  they  are  of  no 
avail.  Here  are  six  ciphers:  virtue,  knowledge, 
temperance,  patience,  brotherly  kindness,  charity. 
All  are  ciphers ;  but  Christ  is  the  great  Unit.  Put 
Christ  before  those  six  ciphers  and  it  is  as  if  we 
marched  toward  heaven  backed  by  an  army  of  a 
million  men.     Thus  the  kingdom  of  heaven  suffereth 


THE    SCARLET    THREAD.  97 

violence  and  the  violent  take  it  by  storm.  If  the 
Scriptures  are  true,  there  is  one  fact  which  admits 
of  no  denial  or  perad venture,  to  wit,  no  man  who  be- 
lieves in  Christ  is  shut  out  of  the  kingdom,  and  J>er 
contra  no  man  rejecting  Christ  has  ever  entered  it. 


A  TRAGEDY 

"  Now  Herod  had  laid  hold  on  John  and  bound  him  and  put  him  in  prison 
for  Herodias'  sake."— Matt.  14,  3. 

On  a  lonely  height  four  thousand  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea,  overlooking  a  dreary  stretch  of 
asphalt  plains  and  the  sluggish  Sodomiticlake,  are  the 
ruins  of  the  castle  of  Machaerus.  The  outlines  of  its 
dungeon  are  still  pointed  out,  with  two  crevices 
where  iron  staples  were  fixed  for  the  prisoners'  chains. 
The  place  is  invested  with  a  weird  interest  by  reason 
of  a  tragedy  most  foul  and  bloody  enacted  there  two 
thousand  years  ago.  The  dramatis  persona,  were  as 
follows : 

John  the  Baptist^  prophet  of  the  wilderness  and 
forerunner  of  Christ.  His  dress  was  of  coarse 
camel's  hair,  bound  with  a  leathern  girdle  at  the 
loins.  We  picture  him  as  a  man  of  stern  visage, 
with  eyes  flashing  from  beneath  cavernous  brows. 
He  was  meek  in  the  presence  of  persecution,  but 
aggressive  against  sin.  Our  Lord  paid  tribute  to 
his  character  in  these  words:  "Among  them  that  are 
born  of  women  there  hath  not  arisen  a  greater  than 
John  the  Baptist." 

Herod  the  Tetrarch,  son  of  that  Herod  called  "the 
Great"  who  commanded  the  murder  of  the  inno- 
cents.    The  Tetrarch  was  a  politician  worthy  of  that 

(98; 


A    TRAGEDY.  99 

degenerate  age,  not  without  popular  characteristics; 
but  fond  of  display,  a  votary  of  illicit  pleasure  and 
inordinately  ambitious.  The  title  which  our  Lord 
applied  to  him,  ''that  fox,"  suggests  an  acquaint- 
ance with  clever  artifice.  He  was  a  Sadducee,  reject- 
ing the  doctrine  of  immortality  yet  afraid  of  ghosts. 
One  of  his  serious  faults  was  indecision.  His  im- 
pressions were  often  right  and  his  impulses  generous, 
but  he  lacked  the  courage  to  execute  them.  Such 
men  are  not  uncommon  nowadays.  We  say,  "  If 
that  man  had  but  a  little  more  nerve,  a  little  more 
resolution,  a  little  more  conviction  and  courage  of 
conviction,  what  a  man  he  would  be!  " 

Herodias^  his  wife.  His  "wife"?  Well,  one 
must  not  be  too  particular;  for  those  were  the  days 
when,  as  Josephus  says,  "  the  women  were  wont  to 
count  their  divorces  by  the  rings  on  their  fingers." 
This  woman  was  Herod's  own  niece  and  sister-in-law. 
She  had  previously  been  married  to  his  brother 
Philip,  who  was  still  living.  She  was  of  fierce  and 
vindictive  disposition,  the  Jezebel  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament. She  reminds  one  of  that  extraordinary  line  of 
Young's :   "A  shameless  woman  is  the  worst  of  men. " 

Salome^  a  dancing  girl.  She  was  the  daughter  of 
Herddias  by  a  previous  marriage.  Carlo  Dolce 
represents  her  as  of  surpassing  beauty,  standing  on 
tiptoe  with  hands  uplifted.  She  was  afterwards 
famous  as  the  spouse  of  Aristobulus,  King  of  Chalcis. 

Joanna^  wife  of  Chuza,  steward  of  the  king's  house- 
hold. She  is  reputed  to  have  been  healed  of  a  pain- 
ful malady  by  Jesus,  and  is  mentioned  among  the 
women  who  ministered  to  him.  As  lady-in-waiting 
at  the  court  of  Herod,  she  was  probably  an  eye-wit- 


lOO  A    TRAGEDY. 

ness  of  the  incidents  of  this  tragedy  and  informant  of 
the  historian  who  recorded  it. 

An  Executiotier,  unnamed,  and  least  guilty  of  all. 
In  all  probability  a  slave  or  gladiator,  accustomed  to 
obey  without  question  and  hardened  to  bloody  deeds. 

The  Spirit  of  God ;  present  throughout,  like  Cho- 
ragos  of  the  Greek  tragedies,  keeping  behind  the 
scenes,  but  directing  and  controlling  all, 

Sce?ie  First. — A  Marriage  in  the  Castle. 

All  Galilee  is  interested.  The  royal  apartments 
are  brilliant  with  many  lights.  Lords  and  courtiers 
are  present  to  grace  the  occasion.  The  bridegroom 
is  arrayed  in  royal  apparel,  with  the  nuptial  turban. 
The  bride  is  adorned  with  jewels  and  the  bridal 
chaplet,  her  face  veiled  in  token  (God  save  the 
mark!)  of  modesty.  The  priest  closes  the  ceremony 
with  the  customary  words,  "Take  her  according  to 
the  law  of  Israel."  That,  however,  is  the  precise 
thing  which  the  bridegroom  cannot  do;  because  this 
union  is  within  the  proscribed  limits  of  consanguinity 
and  is  forbidden  not  only  by  the  canons  of  Israel  but 
by  the  common  law.  The  God  of  Israel  forbids  the 
bans!  But  the  deed  is  done;  the  irrevocable  step  is 
taken  and  the  retainers  of  the  court  press  forward  to 
offer  their  congratulations.  The  shouts  of  the  popu- 
lace are  heard  without  ;  processions  pass  by  with 
lamps  and  torches.  From  the  steps  of  the  palace 
presents  of  oil  and  wine  are  distributed  among  the 
people.  Thus  the  day  closes;  a  day  accursed  to 
Herod,  who  passes  irrevocably  under  the  hypnotic 
influence  of  a  pair  of  cruel,  basilisk  eyes. — We  are 
reminded  of  what  Lord  Burleigh  said,  "  Marriage  is 
an  action  of  life  like  unto  a  stratagem  of  war  wherein 


A    TRAGEDY.  lOI 

a  man  can  err  but  once."  It  is,  indeed,  for  better  or 
for  worse.  All  our  dearest  interests  here  and  here- 
after are  involved  in  this  union.  Wherefore,  as  the 
liturgy  says,  it  is  "  not  to  be  entered  upon  unadvisedly 
or  lightly,  but  reverently,  discreetly,  advisedly, 
soberly,  and  in  the  fear  of  God." 

Scene  Second. — The  Wedding  Reception  in  the 
Great  Hall  of  the  Castle. 

Herod  and  Herodias  are  entertaining  in  state. 
Not  a  few  distinguished  guests  have  offered  their 
congratulations,  when  one  enters  unbidden  and  unan- 
nounced. The  prophet  of  the  wilderness  has  been 
preaching  to  a  great  multitude  at  the  fords  of  the 
Jordan.  Now  he  has  come  to  the  palace  with  a 
message  from  God  to  the  newly  wedded  pair.  He 
makes  his  way  through  the  imposing  throng,  points 
to  Herodias,  and  says  sternly  to  the  bridegroom,  "It 
is  not  lawful  for  thee  to  have  her!  "  The  words  are 
calmly  spoken  but  they  contain  a  terrific  arraignment. 
The  prophet  knows  his  danger  full  well,  but  royal 
authority  has  no  terrors  for  him.  A  momentary 
silence  falls  upon  the  company.  There  is  no  power 
in  the  world  so  overawing  as  courage.  In  the  draft 
riots  of  1863,  when  mobs  went  surging  through  our 
streets,  looting  the  homes  of  peaceful  citizens  and 
hanging  negroes  to  the  lamp-posts,  and  defying  Mayor 
Wood  and  the  police  and  militia.  General  Butler 
marched  down  to  the  Bowery  with  a  squad  of  soldiers, 
took  his  stand  on  a  barrel  in  the  midst  of  an  excited 
multitude,  and  said,  "You  delegates  of  the  Five 
Points,  fiends  from  hell,  you  have  been  murdering  better 
men  than  yourselves!  "  His  words  were  like  a  broad- 
side from  a  battery  of  great  guns;  the  man  had  God 


I02  A    TRAGEDY. 

and  justice  at  his  back,  and  the  mob  quailed  before 
him.  The  words  of  John  the  Baptist  were  spoken 
with  no  thought  of  the  consequences  to  himself.  It 
was  enough  for  him  that  God  prompted  them.  He 
might  have  been  allowed  to  depart  in  peace  so  far  as 
Herod  was  concerned,  for  Herod  was  a  coward  back 
of  all,  afraid  of  the  prophet  and  of  the  people  who 
followed  him;  but  Herodias  was  made  of  sterner  stuff. 
Her  eyes  flashed  fire.  The  prophet  of  the  wilderness 
had  yet  to  learn  that  "hell  hath  no  fury  like  a 
woman  scorned." 

Scene  Third. — In  the  Dungeon  of  the  Castle. 

The  prophet  of  the  wilderness  is  a  lonely  prisoner; 
cut  off  from  the  world  and  from  the  multitudes  who  at 
the  fords  of  .^non  await  his  coming.  Alone  ?  Nay; 
the  great  Helper  is  with  him,  and  he  is  sustained 
by  the  consciousness  of  duty  bravely  done.  Mens 
conscia  recti  !  There  is  no  solace  like  that  for  solitary 
hours. 

"Stone  walls  do  not  a  prison  make, 
Nor  iron  bars  a  cage." 

Ten  weary  months  he  languished  in  this  dungeon. 
And  Herod,  meanwhile,  "kept  him  safe."  For, 
despite  Herodias,  he  shrank  from  doing  violence  to 
John;  "he  feared  him,  knowing  that  he  was  a  just 
man  and  an  holy."  And  not  infrequently  he  gave 
him  audience,  and  "heard  him  gladly."  It  would 
appear  that  Herod  was  not  so  far  depraved  that  he 
could  not  recognize  the  moral  power  of  this  man. 
And  though  the  burden  of  John's  preaching  was 
ever,  "  It  is  not  lawful  for  thee  to  have  her,"  he  was 
drawn  toward  his  heroic  censor  as  the  moth  to  the 
flame  that  burns  its  wings.    ' '  And  when  he  heard  him, 


A    TRAGEDY.  IO3 

he  was  much  perplexed."  What  should  he  do  ?  Give 
up  Herodias  or  persist  in  sin  ?  Put  her  away,  man, 
as  thou  lovest  life!  Put  her  away  from  thee  as  one 
would  fling  burning  coals  from  his  bosom  !  It  is  ever 
dangerous  to  dally  with  sin.  Thus  the  conflict  went 
on.  But,  his  prisoner  gone,  Herodias  entered,  and 
he  fell  again  under  the  spell  of  her  baleful  eyes. 
But  good  and  evil  still  strove  within  him  for  mastery. 
One  day  he  said,  "I  will,"  the  next,  "I  cannot;" 
and  so — O  coward  soul — he  'Met  'I  dare  not '  wait 
upon  '  I  would.'  " 

Scene  Fourth. — A  Banquet  in  the  Convivium  of  the 
Castle. 

The  birthday  of  Herod  is  being  celebrated  with 
much  pomp  and  circumstance.  The  Galilean  nobles 
are  there  and  ladies  of  the  court.  Wine  flows  freely. 
There  are  riddles  and  enigmas  and  feats  of  leger- 
demain, according  to  the  Oriental  custom.  At  length 
the  entertainment  flags  and  time  begins  to  hang 
heavy;  then  suddenly  into  the  midst  glides  a  vision 
of  beauty.  It  is  the  dancing  girl  Salome,  step- 
daughter of  the  king,  who,  forgetful  of  her  maiden- 
hood, lends  herself  to  the  voluptuous  amusement  of 
the  hour.  To  and  fro  she  sways  in  the  graceful 
motions  of  the  dance,  weaving  a  sinuous  snare  for 
poor  Herod's  soul.  Exclamations  of  delight  and 
admiration  are  heard  on  every  side.  Herod,  half-dazed 
by  deep  potations,  is  carried  away  with  passionate 
enthusiasm:  "Ask  what  thou  wilt,"  he  cries,  "even 
to  the  half  of  my  kingdom,  and  it  shall  be  given 
thee!  "  It  is  a  true  proverb,  "  When  the  wine  is  in, 
the  wit  is  out."  The  dancing  girl  glances  for  an 
instant  at  her  mother,  and  the  request  falls  glibly 


104  A    TRAGEDY, 

from  her  lips,  "Give  me  forthwith  the  head  of  John 
the  Baptist  on  a  charger!  "  The  king  is  half  sobered 
by  the  brutal  words;  he  is  "  exceeding  sorry. "  What 
shall  he  do  ?  Why  not  say,  "  That  head  is  not  mine 
to  give  "  ?  The  moment  of  decision  has  come.  It  is 
the  crisis  of  his  life.  His  soul  hangs  in  the  balance. 
The  eyes  of  the  Galilean  nobles  are  upon  him.  Has 
he  not  pledged  his  word  ?  Aye;  but  an  evil  vow  is 
ever  better  in  the  breach  than  in  the  observance. 
What  shall  he  do?  Herodias  smiles:  the  die  is 
cast.  He  speaks  to  one  of  his  ministers,  *'Let  it  be 
done!"  Toll  the  bell:  the  siege  is  over;  the  town  of 
Mansoul  has  surrendered ! 

"  Once  to  every  man  and  nation  comes  the  moment  to  decide. 
In  the  strife  of  truth  with  falsehood,  for  the  good  or  evil  side." 

There  are  such  crucial  instants  in  every  life.  We 
come  to  the  parting  of  the  ways.  The  choice  must 
be  made,  and  made  in  a  moment.  It  is  for  God  or 
Satan,  for  sin  or  duty,  for  right  or  wrong,  for  the 
narrow  way  to  heaven  or  the  broad  way  to  hell. 

Scene  Fifth. — In  the  Dungeon  again. 

John  sits  bowed  in  prayer.  There  is  a  footfall  in 
the  corridor.  The  door  is  thrown  open.  The  prophet 
lifts  his  eyes  and  in  the  dim  light  reads  his  doom 
upon  his  visitor's  face.  "Come!"  He  is  ready 
to  be  offered.  He  bows  to  the  blow,  and  all  is 
over.  His  soul  is  with  God. — Thus  it  is  written, 
"  Lust  when  it  hath  conceived,  bringeth  forth  sin; 
and  sin  when  it  is  finished,  bringeth  forth  death." 
But,  blessed  is  the  man  who  is  faithful  through  all, — 
In  the  banquet  hall  the  guests  are  waiting  for  the 
coming  of  the  Executioner.      It  is  not  he  that  enters, 


A   TRAGEDY.  IO5 

but  beautiful  Salome,  bearing  a  trencher  whereon 
is  the  dissevered  head.  Herodias  smiles;  and,  as 
Jerome  records,  drawing  near,  thrusts  her  bodkin 
through  the  speechless  tongue,  as  if  to  say,  "  Thou 
shalt  trouble  me  no  more."  But  Herod,  who  cannot 
withdraw  his  gaze  from  the  gory  spectacle,  trembles 
in  every  limb.  Those  eyes,  half  closed,  are  accus- 
ing him!  Those  lips,  though  cold,  are  saying,  "It 
is  not  lawful  for  thee  to  have  her!  "  And  the  blood 
in  that  trencher  he  is  destined  to  see  in  his  dreams; 
in  the  watches  of  the  night  he  will  start  up  in  terror 
beholding  the  grim  yet  kindly  visage  of  his  faithful 
reprover. 

Not  long  after  this  event  a  rumor  reached  him 
that  One  was  going  up  and  down  through  the  land 
preaching  repentance  and  the  kingdom  of  righteous- 
ness. They  said  it  was  Jesus  of  Nazareth;  but 
remorse  moved  him  to  cry,  "It  is  John  the  Baptist 
risen  from  the  dead !  "  His  Sadducean  creed  was  put 
to  shame  by  his  sure  instinct  of  retribution.  Thus 
"conscience  doth  make  cowards  of  us  all." 

In  the  following  April  Herod  went  up  to  the 
Passover  at  Jerusalem.  Jesus  was  then  on  trial; 
and  Pilate,  knowing  that  his  prisoner  was  from 
the  north  country,  sought  to  escape  personal  respon- 
sibility by  turning  him  over  to  the  jurisdiction 
of  this  Galilean  king.  "And  Herod,  when  he 
saw  Jesus,  was  exceeding  glad,  for  he  was  desir- 
ous to  see  him  for  a  long  season;  because  he 
had  heard  many  things  of  him  and  had  hoped 
to  see  some  miracle  done  by  him.  Then  he  ques- 
tioned him  in  many  words;  but  Jesus  answered  him 
nothing"  (Luke  23,  8).     This  is  the  only  time  Jesus 


I06  A    TRAGEDY. 

ever  treated  any  man  with  contempt.  Yet  why  not? 
The  manhood  had  utterly  gone  out  of  Herod.  It 
would  have  been  ill-becoming  to  waste  words  on  a 
creature  so  despicable;  on  one  so  false  to  himself, 
false  to  duty,  false  to  conscience,  false  to  God.  The 
only  revenge  which  Herod  could  take  was  to  deliver 
his  prisoner  to  the  rude  buffeting  of  his  soldiers  and 
send  him  back  to  Pilate  derisively  robed  in  cast-off 
purple.  Thus  vanishes  the  coward  Herod  from  our 
view.      Farewell!     We  have  had  enough  of  him. 

And  what  is  our  lesson  ?  First;  let  us  heed  the 
Voice  of  heavenly  admonition.  God  never  meant 
that  Herod  should  die.  He  bore  long  and  patiently 
with  him;  sent  his  prophet  to  remonstrate  with  him, 
spoke  to  him  again  and  again  in  earnest  entreaty ;  but 
all  in  vain ;  he  ran  headlong  upon  the  bosses  of 
retribution.  God  deals  thus  graciously  with  every 
man.  "  He  is  not  slack  concerning  his  promise,  as 
some  men  count  slackness;  but  is  longsuffering  to 
usward,  not  willing  that  any  should  perish  but  that 
all  should  come  to  repentance."  He  speaks  to  us 
from  our  mother's  lips,  from  the  pages  of  Holy  Scrip- 
ture, by  the  voice  of  conscience  in  the  inner  man, 
through  the  words  of  his  ambassadors  who  are  sent  to 
cry,  "  Turn  ye,  turn  ye ;  for  why  will  ye  die  ?  "  by  the 
voice  of  his  Spirit  bidding  us  to  look  to  Christ  for 
the  pardon  of  our  sins.  Alas,  that  we  should  give  so 
little  heed  !  Alas  for  us  that  Christ  should  be  cru- 
cified before  our  eyes,  all  unavailingly !  "Come 
now,  saith  the  Lord,  let  us  reason  together;  though 
your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be  white  as  snow; 
though  they  be  red  like  crimson,  they  shall  be  as  wool. " 

But  secondly^  it  is  not  enough  that  we  should  be 


A   TRAGEDY.  I07 

"exceeding  sorry  "as  Herod  was.  A  true  repent- 
ance means  not  merely  regret  for  past  transgression, 
but  an  immediate  abandonment  of  sin.  This  is  that 
*' godly  sorrow  which  needeth  not  to  be  repented  of." 
Give  up  your  sin,  my  friend.  Have  no  parley  with 
it.  Cut  loose  from  your  vicious  habit  whatever  it 
may  be,  once  for  all.  God  and  his  enemy  cannot 
abide  together  in  your  soul.  Make  an  end  of  your 
cherished  sin  as  Maldonatus  did  when,  knowing  him- 
self to  be  wedded  to  avarice,  he  brought  his  money 
bag  to  the  taffrail  of  his  boat  and  cast  it  over,  saying, 
"I  will  destroy  thee  ere  thou  make  an  end  of  me!  " 
A  true  repentance  means  not  only  remorse  for  the 
past  but  a  bright  outlook  for  the  future.  The  blood 
of  Jesus  will  wash  away  the  old  record  and  the 
living  Christ  will  open  heaven's  gate  before  you.  Be 
wise  to  hear  the  word  of  warning  against  your  dar- 
ling sin,  "  It  is  not  lawful  for  thee  to  have  it !  "  Your 
destiny  for  all  eternity  depends  upon  your  decision. 
O  choose  the  right  and  with  it  life  eternal!  Farewell 
Herodias,  and  welcome  truth,  duty  and  righteous- 
ness! Farewell  Herodias,  and  welcome  to  our  hearts, 
thou  gracious  Son  of  God  ! 


SOWING  AND  REAPING 

"  Be  not  deceived ;  God  is  not  mocked  ;  for  whatsoever  a  man  soweth,  that 
shall  he  also  reap.  For  he  that  soweth  to  his  flesh,  shall  of  the  flesh  reap  cor- 
ruption ;  but  he  that  soweth  to  the  Spirit,  shall  of  the  Spirit  reap  Ufe  everlast- 
ing. And  let  us  not  be  weary  in  welldoing :  for  in  due  season  we  shall  reap, 
if  we  faint  not.  As  we  have  therefore  opportunity,  let  us  do  good  unto  all 
men,  especially  unto  them  who  are  of  the  household  of  faith."— Gal.  6,  7-10. 

The  Bible  is  a  book  of  therapeutics.  It  offers 
specifics  for  all  the  ills  that  human  souls  are  heir  to. 
Here  is  one  for  heart  trouble:  "Let  not  your  heart 
be  troubled;  ye  believe  in  God,  believe  also  in  me." 
For  pain  of  conscience,  due  to  conviction  of  sin: 
"Come  now,  saith  the  Lord,  let  us  reason  together; 
though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be  as  white 
as  snow;  though  they  be  red  like  crimson,  they  shall 
be  as  wool."  For  a  morbid  memory,  dwelling  on  a 
mislived  past:  "Forgetting  the  things  which  are 
behind  and  reaching  forth  unto  those  things  which 
are  before,  let  us  press  toward  the  mark  for  the  prize 
of  the  high  calling  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus."  For 
insomnia:  "I  will  both  lay  me  down  in  peace  and 
sleep,  for  thou,  Lord,  only  makest  me  dwell  in 
safety."  For  nervous  prostration,  resulting  from 
fret  and  worry:  "  Consider  the  lilies  of  the  field  how 
they  grow;  your  Father  careth  for  them,  shall  he  not 
much  more  care  for  you,  O  ye  of  little  faith  ?  "  For 
hypochondria,  its  symptoms  being  doubt,  discourage- 

(108) 


SOWING    AND    REAPING.  IO9 

ment  and  fear:  "Peace  I  leave  with  you,  my  peace 
I  give  unto  you." 

These  remedies  have  all  been  tried  and  proven. 
Testimonials  are  not  lacking,  A  great  multitude 
whom  no  man  can  number  are  prepared  to  certify  to 
the  efficacy  of  these  divine  prescriptions.  "  I  was 
blind,"  says  one,  *'  and  could  not  perceive  the  great 
truths  of  the  spiritual  life,  but  the  Lord  passing  by 
anointed  my  eyes  and,  behold,  I  see." — "I  was  a 
leper,"  says  another,  "  and,  being  sensible  of  the 
dreadfulness  of  sin,  I  stood  apart  with  my  finger  on 
my  lip,  crying,  'Unclean!'  Then  the  Great  Physi- 
cian laid  his  hand  upon  me,  and  his  touch  was  as  the 
purging  of  hyssop." — "  I  was  a  paralytic,"  says  still 
another,  "  my  will  disabled  as  if  bound  with  fetters; 
but  Christ  came,  saying,  *  Arise  and  stand  upon  thy 
feet,'  and  his  word  hath  made  me  whole."  And, 
strange  to  say,  there  is  no  record  of  failure.  The 
testimony  of  those  who  have  made  faithful  trial  of 
the  Gospel  is  all  one  way:  "This  poor  man  cried 
and  the  Lord  heard  and  saved  him  out  of  all  his 
troubles.  O  that  men  would  praise  the  Lord  for  his 
goodness  and  for  his  wonderful  works  to  the  children 
of  men!  " 

Th6  case  of  Charles  Reade,  the  novelist,  is  in  evi- 
dence. He  was  an  unbeliever  until  he  happened 
upon  our  text.  As  he  read  and  pondered,  his  doubts 
vanished  and  the  life-giving  truth  was  revealed  to 
him  as  when  the  dayspring  arises  with  healing  in  its 
beams.  He  rose  from  his  knees  and  wrote  upon  the 
margin  of  his  Bible,  '*0  God,  grant  for  Jesus'  sake 
that  these  four  verses  may  henceforth  be  the  guide  of 
my  life. "    A  passage  so  fraught  with  power  is  worthy 


IXO  SOWING    AND    REAPING, 

of  our  Study;  it  may  be  profitable  to  some  among  us 
"for  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  correction,  for  instruc- 
tion in  righteousness." 

Its  opening  word  is  a  caution:  "Be  not  deceived; 
God  is  not  mocked!  "  The  Apostle  has  been  speak- 
ing of  special  duties,  such  as  the  bearing  of  one 
another's  burdens  and  the  restoration  of  backsliders. 
He  proceeds  now  to  the  statement  of  a  general  truth. 
The  word  "  mocked  "  is  from  the  Greek  mukterizeiuy 
meaning  "  to  dilate  the  nostrils,"  as  when  one  sneers 
or  laughs  contemptuously.  Will  a  man  thus  pre- 
sume to  mock  God?  It  is  done  by  such  as  deny  his 
being;  this,  however,  is  a  vulgar  form  of  atheism 
and  quite  uncommon  in  these  days.  The  derision  is 
equally  effective,  however,  when  God  is  eliminated 
from  the  purposes  and  pursuits  of  common  life;  thus 
it  is  written,  "  The  fool  hath  said/^z  his  hearty  There  is 
no  God."  But  the  reference  in  the  present  instance 
is  to  the  deliberate  setting  of  one's  self  athwart  the 
divine  law. 

The  law  referred  to  is  the  very  condition  of  our 
being;  and  to  oppose  it  is  to  run  as  with  suicidal 
purpose  upon  the  bosses  of  God's  shield.  Ruskin 
says,  "  The  most  dangerous,  because  the  most  attract- 
ive, form  of  modern  infidelity  is  that  which  pretend- 
ing to  exalt  the  beneficence  of  the  Deity  degrades 
it  into  a  reckless  infinitude  of  mercy  and  blind  obliter- 
ation of  the  work  of  sin,  and  does  this  chiefly  by 
dwelling  on  the  manifold  appearances  of  God's 
goodness  on  the  face  of  creation."  There  is  a  sterner 
side  of  the  divine  character  which  finds  its  counterpart 
in  our  inward  sense  of  justice.  The  thought  of  retribu- 
tion, the  meting  out  of  exact  justice  sooner  or  later, 


SOWING    AND    REAPING.  Ill 

is  SO  universal  that  it  may  be  regarded  as  a  generic 
intuition.  This  is  interwoven  with  the  very  fibres 
of  our  nature  and  it  cannot  be  disregarded  with 
impunity. 

The  people  in  the  Vale  of  Shinar  were  prosperous 
while  they  engaged  in  the  peaceful  [[and  legitimate 
pursuits  of  agriculture;  but  they  said,  *'  Go  to,  let  us 
build  a  tower  that  shall  reach  unto  heaven,  and  let  us 
make  for  ourselves  a  name."  The  tower  which  they 
proposed  was  to  be  like  a  derisive  finger  pointed  at 
God.  They  built  so  far  toward  heaven,"  says  the 
legend,  ''that  the  arrows  which  they  shot  upward 
returned  to  them  stained  with  the  blood  of  the  immor- 
tals." But  God  is  not  mocked.  "Go  to,"  he  said, 
"let  us  go  down  and  confound  them."  He  touched 
their  tongue-strings  and  they  fled,  muttering  and 
gibbering,  hither  and  yon :  and  the  record  adds  signifi- 
cantly, "  They  left  off  to  build."  God  is  not  mocked. 
The  man  who  defies  his  ordinance  comes  up  sooner  or 
later  against  Karma.  He  can  build  to  the  end  of 
God's  patience  and  no  farther.  He  then  leaves  off 
to  build.  Death  touches  him.  Close  his  eyelids; 
the  lights  are  out. 

The  law  of  which  we  are  speaking  is  stated  thus : 
"Whatsoever  a  man  soweth,  that  shall  he  also  reap." 
It  is  the  Law  of  Moral  Causation.  Its  analysis  reveals 
certain  particulars  which  must  commend  themselves 
to  every  thoughtful  man. 

First.  The  time  of  seed-sowing  is  here  and  now.  Our 
present  life  is  probationary,  and  destiny  is  condi- 
tioned upon  it.  We  sometimes  hear  of  a  "larger 
hope,"  but  such  an  intimation  is  in  direct  contra- 
vention of  the  divine  word.     The  logical  faculty  of  a 


112  SOWING    AND    REAPING. 

child  can  see  that  probation  is  meaningless  if  there 
is  another  probation  to  follow  it.  This  is  the  very- 
falsehood  which  was  suggested  by  Satan  when  he 
sat  as  Milton  says,  "squat  like  a  toad"  beside  the 
ear  of  Eve.  "Yea,  hath  God  said.  Ye  shall  not  eat 
of  every  tree  of  the  garden  ?  "  And  the  woman  said, 
"We  may  eat  of  the  fruit  of  all  save  one,  of  which 
God  hath  said,  In  the  day  thou  eatest  thereof,  thou 
shalt  surely  die. "  And  the  tempter  said,  "Ye  shall 
not  surely  diQ."  This  is  indeed  "the  larger  hope"; 
but  be  not  deceived.  God  has  given  fair  warning; 
his  word  is  Yea  and  Amen.  We  are  here  on  trial, 
here  to  make  character  for  the  eternal  ages.  There 
is  no  seed-sowing  in  eternity.  We  presently  come  to 
the  dead-line  where  it  is  written,  "He  that  is  unjust, 
let  him  be  unjust  still ;  he  that  is  filthy,  let  him  be 
filthy  still;  he  that  is  righteous,  let  him  be  righteous 
still,  and  he  that  is  holy,  let  him  be  holy  still."  As 
the  tree  falleth,  so  shall  it  also  lie. 

Second.  The  harvest  is  sure.  It  is  otherwise  in  the 
natural  world.  In  the  West  last  summer,  impressed 
by  the  luxuriant  fields  of  corn,  I  said  to  a  farmer, 
"You  are  having  great  crops."  He  replied,  "We 
never  count  our  corn-crop  until  we  have  it  in  the 
cribs."  A  blight  may  come,  mildew  or  drought,  or 
devastating  storm.  But  no  blight  nor  drought  can 
interrupt  the  operation  of  the  spiritual  harvest  law. 

It  would  appear,  indeed,  that  such  an  interruption 
did  occur  when  the  Lord  Christ  came  to  prevent  by 
his  vicarious  death  the  imposition  of  the  penalty  for 
our  sins.  But  observe,  the  law  remained  intact;  there 
was  merely  a  transposition  of  the  penalty.  He  reaped 
our  sowing.     "The  chastisement  of  our  peace  was 


SOWING    AND    REAPING.  II3 

Upon  him."  He  stood  as  our  substitute,  taking  our 
sins  into  his  own  body  on  the  tree  and  offering  us  the 
full  benefit  of  this  vicarious  expiation  on  the  sole 
condition  of  faith.  But,  even  so,  we  bear  the  present 
consequences  of  our  sin.  If  a  Christian  violates  the 
i  laws  of  health,  he  reaps  the  consequences  in  gout  or 
dyspepsia  or  rheumatism,  like  any  other  man.  But 
the  long  sentence  was  fully  transferred  to  Christ  and 
expiated  by  him.  This  is  effective  for  such  only  as 
believe  in  him:  others,  by  their  own  volition,  remain 
under  the  law.    They  must  reap  what  they  have  sown. 

"Sown  in  the  darkness  or  sown  in  the  light, 
Sown  in  our  weakness  or  sown  in  our  might, 
Gathered  in  time  or  eternity. 
Sure,  ah  sure,  will  the  harvest  be." 

Third.  The  seed-sowing  and  the  ingathering  are  homo- 
geneous. Like  produces  like.  Men  do  not  gather 
grapes  of  thorns  nor  figs  of  thistles.  No  farmer  who 
sows  oats  expects  to  reap  wheat  or  barley.  So  it  is 
written,  "He  that  soweth  to  his  flesh,  shall  of  the 
flesh  reap  corruption;  and  he  that  soweth  to  the 
Spirit,  shall  of  the  Spirit  reap  life  everlasting. "  Here 
are  the  two  ways  of  living.  To  live  unto  the  flesh  is 
to  be  absorbed  in  self-pleasing  and  sordid  pursuits: 
regardless  of  the  higher  demands  of  truth  and  right- 
eousness. The  end  thereof  is  death.  In  the  wood  of 
Ephraim  lies  Absalom  with  three  arrows  in  his  breast ; 
he  has  "sown  his  wild  oats"  and  must  reap  the 
harvest.  Life  produces  life  after  its  kind  ;  this  is  the 
irrevocable  decree.  He  who  lives  to  the  Spirit  de- 
votes himself  to  the  weal  of  others  and  the  glory  of 
God.  He  is  not  unmindful  of  that  which  is  beyond. 
He  dreams  dreams  and  sees  visions.    He  reveres  truth 


114  SOWING    AND    REAPING. 

and  duty.  He  cherishes  the  Hope  of  Israel  and,  like 
old  Simeon  beholding  the  face  of  the  Christ-child,  he 
can  say,  "Now  lettest  thou  thy  servant  depart  in 
peace,  according  to  thy  word:  for  mine  eyes  have 
seen  thy  salvation," 

Fourth.  The  harvest  is  manifold.  Sow  a  grain,  and 
reap  a  spear  of  wheat;  sow  a  handful,  and  gather  a 
sheaf;  sow  an  apronful  and  gather  enough  for  a 
winter's  hunger.  The  same  rule  of  multiplication 
holds  in  spiritual  things:  "Sow  an  act  and  reap  a 
tendency;  sow  a  tendency,  and  reap  a  habit;  sow  a 
habit,  and  reap  a  character;  sow  a  character  and  reap 
an  eternal  destiny."  A  thistle-ball,  blown  from  the 
deck  of  a  passing  ship,  is  said  to  have  seeded  all  the 
South  Sea  Islands  with  Canada  thistles.  That  was  a 
hundred  years  ago;  but  the  farmers  in  that  country 
are  still  plucking  thistles  from  the  furrows  and  fence 
corners.  And  good  is  no  less  prolific  than  evil.  A 
lad  in  Scotland  planted  violet-seeds  in  a  corner  of  his 
mother's  garden.  Long  afterward  he  returned  from 
his  wanderings  to  find  the  old  home  gone  and  the 
trees  under  which  he  had  played  in  his  childhood  cut 
down;  but  the  garden  was  still  fragrant  with  violets. 
It  has  been  written,  "The  evil  a  man  does  lives  after 
him,  the  good  is  oft  interred  with  his  bones."  But 
the  good  we  do  is  immortal  and  lives  and  multiplies 
when  the  places  that  knew  us,  know  us  no  more  for- 
ever. Great  harvests  shall  be  gathered  by  those  who 
are  living  well;   "thirty,  sixty,  an  hundredfold." 

The  practical  bearing  of  all  this  is  obvious:  Let  us 
make  our  lives  tell.  If  indeed  the  seed-sowing  must  be 
done  here  and  now,  we  have  no  time  to  waste.  It  will 
be  too  late  to  go  forth  into  the  fields  when  eternity 


SOWING    AND    REAPING.  II5 

breaks  upon  us.  Live  to-day!  The  sorest  calamity 
that  can  befall  an  immortal  soul  is  to  be  doomed  to 
eternal  barrenness.  This  was  the  curse  laid  by  our 
Saviour  on  the  fruitless  fig-tree:  *'No  man  eat  fruit 
of  thee  forever!  " 

"  Nothing  but  leaves!    The  Spirit  grieves 
O'er  years  of  wasted  life; 
O'er  sins  indulged  while  conscience  slept, 
O'er  vows  and  promises  unkept; 
And  reaps  from  years  of  strife — 
Nothing  but  leaves! " 

The  way  to  make  life  tell,  for  good  here  and  for 
glory  hereafter,  is  to  give  every  act  its  full  signifi- 
cance. Do  the  next  thing  as  if  it  were  the  sowing  of 
a  seed.  In  Richmond  years  ago  a  man  lay  in  a 
drunken  stupor  at  high  noon,  with  the  flies  buzzing 
on  his  upturned  face.  A  woman  passed  by  and, 
turning,  laid  her  handkerchief  over  his  bloated  fea- 
tures and  passed  on.  She  was  called  upon  long  after, 
by  William  Wirt — a  name  distinguished  in  our  Ameri- 
can annals — who  said,  "  I  am  that  man."  On  awak- 
ening from  his  stupor  he  had  found  the  handkerchief 
with  her  name  upon  it;  but  shame  restrained  him 
from  acknowledging  her  kindness.  He  now  assured 
her  that  her  considerate  act  had  brought  him  to  peni- 
tence and  reformation.  Who  knows  what  shall  be 
the  harvest  of  the  next  thing  we  do  ? 

But  the  conditions  must  be  met.  No  journey 
can  be  taken  without  a  first  step.  A  useful  life  must 
have  a  beginning,  and  the  beginning  is  in  acceptance 
of  Christ.  If  a  man  were  to  say  to  the  owner  of  one 
of  the  abandoned  farms  of  Vermont,  "Why  do  you 
not  sow  your  fields  ?     How  can  you  expect  to  be 


Il6  SOWING    AND    REAPING. 

prosperous  if  you  do  not  scatter  seed?"  he  would 
reply,  "  To  what  purpose  ?  The  soil  is  worn  out;  it 
would  be  as  vain  to  sow  these  fields  as  to  scatter 
seed  in  the  ashes  of  Pompeii."  So  with  the  man 
who  has  abused  his  life;  his  soul  is  a  barren  soil.  To 
make  a  new  start,  to  formulate  good  resolutions,  is 
futile.  The  field  must  be  made  over,  and  this  mak- 
ing over  is  regeneration.  Here  is  what  Christ  pro- 
poses to  do  for  every  man  who  believes  in  him :  to 
obliterate  the  past  and  prepare  the  soul  for  future 
usefulness.  Then  begins  the  real  seed-sowing  of  the 
better  life. 

And  all  that  follows  is  faithful  service;  "Be  not 
weary  in  welldoing,  for  in  due  season  we  shall  reap 
if  we  faint  not."  In  the  "  Farmer's  Almanac,"  which 
used  to  hang  by  the  farm-house  chimney,  such 
legends  were  found  as  this:  "July  15.  Now  gather 
in  your  barley."  But  the  times  and  seasons  of  spirit- 
ual ingathering  are  not  thus  marked  out.  Let  it 
suffice  that  the  reaping  will  be  in  fulness  of  time. 
He  that  believeth  shall  not  make  haste.  We  can 
afford  to  wait.  "  Behold, the  husbandman  waiteth  for 
the  precious  fruit  of  the  earth,  and  hath  long  patience 
for  it,  until  he  receive  the  early  and  latter  rain.  Be 
ye  also  patient;  stablish  your  hearts;  for  the  coming 
of  the  Lord  draweth  nigh."  Dr.  Moffat  labored  for 
many  years  among  the  Bechuanas  and  won  not  a 
single  soul  for  his  hire.  On  receiving  from  England 
a  message,  "What  shall  we  send  you  for  Christmas  ?  " 
he  answered,  "Send  me  a  communion  service."  And 
his  faith  was  duly  rewarded;  God's  spirit  was  poured 
out  and  souls  sprang  up  like  willows  by  the  water 
courses ;  so  that,  when  the  communion  service  arrived, 


SOWING    AND    REAPING.  II7 

there  were  many  to   sit  with  the  missionary  around 
the  table,  rejoicing  in  the  fellowship  of  Christ. 

Here  is  the  promise:  "They  that  sow  in  tears 
shall  reap  in  joy."  But  why  should  the  farmer  weep 
as  he  scatters  the  seed?  Perhaps  it  is  a  season  of 
drought  and  the  seed  which  he  scatters  in  the  furrows 
is  his  children's  bread.  Nevertheless  he  would  not 
sow  it  broadcast  but  for  his  faith  in  the  law  of  the 
ingathering.  In  every  tear-drop  there  is  a  rainbow 
of  promise.  Thus^  whatever  the  pain  and  weariness 
of  life,  let  us  be  confident  that  we  shall  join  in  the 
rejoicings  of  harvest-home.  The  promise  is  without 
peradventure ;  it  speaks  with  a  "shall"  and  a 
"  doubtless."  The  word  of  the  Lord  hath  spoken  it. 
"  He  that  goeth  forth  and  weepeth,  bearing  precious 
seed,  shall  doubtless  come  again  with  rejoicing, 
bringing  his  sheaves  with  him." 


THE  CHRIST-CHILD  AND  THE 
INNOCENTS 

A    CHRISTMAS    MEDITATION 

"  Then  Herod,  when  he  saw  that  he  was  mocked  of  the  wise  men,  was  ex. 
ceeding  wroth,  and  sent  forth,  and  slew  all  the  children  that  were  in  Bethlehem, 
and  in  all  the  coasts  thereof,  from  two  years  old  and  under,  according  to  the 
time  which  he  had  diligently  enquired  of  the  wise  men.  Then  was  fulfilled 
that  which  was  spoken  by  Jeremy  the  prophet,  saying,  In  Rama  was  there  a 
voice  heard,  lamentation  and  weeping  and  great  mourning,  Rachel  weeping 
for  her  children,  and  would  not  be  comforted,  because  they  are  not."— Matt. 
2,  16-18. 

The  birth  of  Christ  is  associated  with  sweet  sur- 
prises, new  lights  in  heaven,  new  angel  songs,  joyous 
pilgrimages  and  offering  of  gifts.  But  here  is  one 
discordant  note.  It  is  like  the  scream  of  a  falcon  in 
a  dovecote,  or  the  baying  of  a  wolf  at  the  sheepfold. 
One  can  scarcely  believe  the  weird  story;  but  we 
must  remember  the  man  and  the  time.  The  man 
was  that  bloody  Herod,  on  whose  character  the 
Emperor  Augustus  threw  a  significant  sidelight,  when, 
being  informed  that  the  infant  son  of  Herod  him- 
self had  perished  in  this  massacre,  he  observed,  "It 
were  better  to  be  one  of  his  swine  than  one  of  his 
children. "  And  the  time  was  before  Christ.  It  makes 
a  great  difference  whether  an  event  is  dated  **  B.  C. " 
or  "A.  D."  Life  was  cheap  in  those  days.  A  plac- 
ard may  be  seen  on  a  ruined  wall  in  Pompeii  an- 
nouncing an  entertainment  thus:  "In  the  Arena  a 

(118) 


THE   CHRIST-CHILD    AND     THE    INNOCENTS.  I19 

hundred  men  will  fight  with  ferocious  beasts. "  Line 
up  the  victims!  Morituri te  salutamus.  Drag  out  the 
dead!     Such  was  Paganism  in  its  Golden  Age. 

We  are  informed  by  scholars  who  have  made  a 
close  calculation,  that  the  number  of  children  slain 
in  Bethlehem  and  its  environs  at  this  time  was  not 
above  twenty.  But,  pray,  was  not  that  enough? 
Twenty  homes  bereft!  the  prattling  voices  hushed; 
blue  eyes  closed  and  curly-heads  stained  with  blood ; 
little  garments  folded  and  laid  away.  Twenty 
mothers  bewailing  their  dead ;  awaking  in  the  watches 
of  the  night  and  vainly  reaching  out  their  empty 
arms. 

A  bold  figure  is  here  introduced.  It  was  seven- 
teen centuries  since  Rachel  had  been  laid  to  rest  in 
these  fields  of  Bethlehem.  A  thousand  years  passed 
and  Jeremiah  saw  her  coming  forth  from  her  sep- 
ulchre to  bewail  the  calamities  of  her  people.  The 
Assyrians  were  in  the  land ;  a  band  of  captives  were 
crossing  the  heights  of  Rama  on  their  way  to  exile; 
and  Rachel  stood  weeping,  refusing  to  be  comforted. 
And  again,  seven  hundred  years  later,  the  unquiet 
mother  issues  from  her  tomb  to  bemoan  the  murder 
of  the  children  of  Bethlehem.  Thus,  at  length,  the 
prophecy  of  Jeremiah  is  "filled  full." 

The  question  arises.  Why  must  these  innocents  die  ? 
I  wish  I  knew.  The  mystery  of  suffering  is  every- 
where; the  deep,  inscrutable  mystery.  But  some 
things  are  clear  in  this  connection.  To  begin  with, 
the  children  of  Bethlehem  did  not  suffer  on  account  of  their 
sin.  As  yet,  no  actual  transgression  could  be  laid  to 
their  charge ;  and  it  is  incredible  as  well  as  unscrip- 
tural  that  they  should  suffer  thus  for  their  part  in 


120        THE  CHRIST-CHILD   AND    THE  INNOCENTS. 

original  sin.  The  defilement  is  admitted,  as  well  by 
those  who  speak  of  "heredity"  as  by  old-fashioned 
believers  in  original  sin  ;  but  where  the  tendency 
does  not  develop  into  actual  iniquity,  we  have 
definite  ground  for  saying  that  the  blood  of  Christ 
obliterates  it.  **  The  word  of  the  Lord  came 
unto  me  saying,  What  mean  ye,  that  ye  use  this 
proverb,  The  fathers  have  eaten  sour  grapes,  and 
the  children's  teeth  are  set  on  edge?  As  I  live,  saith 
the  Lord  God,  ye  shall  not  have  occasion  any 
more  to  use  this  proverb  in  Israel ;  for,  behold,  all 
souls  are  mine;  as  the  soul  of  the  father,  so  also  the 
soul  of  the  son  is  mine;  the  soul  that  sinneth,  it  shall 
die  "  (Ez.  i8,  1-4). 

It  is  obvious,  also,  that  these  children  were  not 
^'^  afflicted  for  their  good."  We  who  have  entrenched 
ourselves  in  old  habits  must  needs  be  driven  out  at 
the  point  of  the  bayonet.  This  is  God's  goodness: 
*'  No  chastening  for  the  present  seemeth  to  be  joyous, 
but  grievous ;  nevertheless,  afterward  it  worketh  the 
peaceable  fruit  of  righteousness  unto  them  that  are 
exercised  thereby."  But  these  little  ones  had  no  les- 
sons to  learn.  They  needed  no  chastening.  A  flash 
of  the  sword,  and  the  village  school  was  out  ;  the 
children  of  Bethlehem  were  playing  in  the  green 
fields  of  heaven. 

Nor^  again.,  did  they  die  as  martyrs.  It  is  true  they 
are  in  the  Saints'  Calendar;  the  twenty-eighth  of 
December  is  their  memorial  day.  But  a  martyr  is 
one  who  stands  up  to  testify  at  peril  of  his  life.  The 
death  of  these  children  was  involuntary.  Their 
place  is  not  in  the  noble  army  of  truth-defenders  who 
dwell  beside  the  heavenly  altar,  of  whom  we  sing : 


THE   CHRIST-CHILD    AND     THE    INNOCENTS.  121 

"  They  climbed  the  steep  ascent  to  Heaven 
'Mid  peril,  toil  and  pain; 
O  God,  to  us  may  grace  be  given 
To  follow  in  their  train!" 

Neither  can  it  be  said  that  they  died  vicariously.  Now 
and  then  a  life  is  saved  by  the  sacrifice  of  another; 
as  when  but  yesterday,  General  Lawton  died  in  the 
front  of  our  Philippine  army  in  behalf  of  advancing 
freedom  and  civilization.  But  who  would  profit  by 
the  death  of  these  innocents  ?  The  shedding  of  their 
blood  was  like  water  poured  on  the  ground;  it  seems 
such  a  pitiful  waste.  I  know  of  nothing  better  to  say 
than  that  they  "paid  the  debt  of  nature."  They 
passed  under  the  common  ordinance.  To-day  or 
to-morrow, — and  what  matters  a  day  more  or  less? — 
we  must  all  pass  through  the  little  wicket  gate.  A 
whirlpool  is  made  by  the  meeting  of  counter  cur- 
rents. Heredity  flows  down  through  the  polluted 
veins  of  the  race  until  it  meets  the  swirling  tides  of 
environment;  and  sooner  or  later  we  are  caught  in 
the  maelstrom.  Is  this  an  inadequate  solution  of  the 
mystery?  Granted;  the  mystery  still  remains.  Per- 
haps we  shall  be  wiser  when  the  curtain  lifts;  "in 
that  day  ye  shall  know."  Meanwhile  we  must  con- 
tent ourselves  that,  whatever  problems  are  unsolved, 
there  is  a  good  God  over  all. 

But  another  question  of  far  more  practical  import 
occurs  to  us  in  connection  with  this  episode;  to  wit, 
Why  was  the  Christ-child  spared  ?  On  the  road  leading 
southward  through  the  wilderness  went  Joseph  and 
Mary;  and  while  the  homes  of  Bethlehem  were  filled 
with  weeping  and  wailing,  this  mother  looked  into 
the  face  of  her  Holy  Child  and  thanked  God.     He 


122         THE    CHRIST-CHILD    AND     THE    INNOCENTS. 

was  spared  for  a  high  destiny.  In  the  fulness  of 
time  he  would  be  coming  back,  as  it  is  written: 
*'Out  of  Egypt  have  I  called  my  Son."  He  would 
return  to  live  and  labor  and  suffer  and  die  for  the 
children  of  men. 

The  most  casual  observer  of  the  wonderful  life  of 
Jesus  must  perceive  his  singular  attitude  toward 
childhood.  It  is  ever  a  mark  of  highest  manhood  to 
stoop  to  the  little  people.  Of  all  the  old  masters,  we 
love  Murillo  best,  because  he  loved  the  children;  and 
there  is  something  fine  and  beautiful  always  in  his 
portraiture  of  them,  even  when  his  subjects  were  beg- 
gar-boys. For  a  like  reason  our  hearts  open  widest  to 
Longfellow  among  the  poets;  he  loved  the  children, 
and  they  loved  him.  In  his  home  at  Cambridge  they 
took  great  liberties  with  him,  climbing  over  his  chair 
and  nestling  in  his  arms.     And  this  was  his  response: 

"  I  have  you  fast  in  my  fortress 
And  will  not  let  you  depart, 
But  will  put  you  down  in  the  dungeon, 
In  the  round-tower  of  my  heart." 

It  is  a  pleasure  to  think  of  "  Lewis  Carroll,"  a 
professor  of  dry  mathematics  in  the  University,  turn- 
ing aside  from  logarithms  and  the  measurement  of 
stellar  distances  to  tell  of  little  Alice  in  Wonderland. 
In  Jesus,  the  ideal  man,  we  should  expect  to  find  the 
consummation  of  this  manly  grace;  and  we  are  not 
disappointed.  Of  all  the  great  teachers  of  history, 
he  alone  is  recorded  to  have  opened  his  arms  to  the 
little  ones,  saying,  '*  Suffer  the  little  children  to  come 
unto  me,  and  forbid  them  not."  He  took  a  little  child 
upon  his  knee  and,  looking  around  on  his  disciples, 
said,  **  Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  except  ye  become  as 


THE  CHRIST-CHILD    AND    THE  INNOCENTS.         1 23 

this  one,  ye  shall  in  no  wise  enter  the  kingdom  of 
God. "  He  admonished  the  religionists  of  his  time  to 
give  no  offense  to  the  children,  saying,  "  It  were 
better  that  a  millstone  were  tied  about  your  necks  and 
ye  were  drowned  in  the  depths  of  the  sea."  He  iden- 
tified himself  with  the  welfare  of  the  children,  assur 
ing  his  hearers  that  to  give  one  of  them  a  cup  of  cold 
water  was  like  quenching  the  thirst  of  his  own  parched 
lips:  *'  Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of  the 
least  of  these,  ye  have  done  it  unto  me." 

But  the  interest  of  Christ  in  children  goes 
deeper  still.  They  were  redeemed  by  his  sacrifice. 
In  Holman  Hunt's  picture  of  "The  Flight  into 
Egypt,"  he  represents  the  Innocents  following  in  the 
wake  of  the  little  caravan  ;  a  sweet-faced  company, 
awaking  out  of  death  with  glad  surprise  in  their 
faces,  and  trooping  after  "  like  a  trail  of  rosy  clouds." 
In  some  of  the  earlier  theological  controversies  we 
find  the  phrase  limbus infantum^  "  the  hell  of  children." 
What  a  nightmare  is  here!  It  is  sometimes  said  that 
John  Calvin  asserted  that  there  were  "  children  in  hell 
a  span  long."  While  it  is  admitted  that  Calvin 
inclined  to  a  somewhat  stern  view  of  the  divine  jus- 
tice, it  is  only  fair  to  say  that  in  all  his  voluminous 
writings  there  is  not  a  word  to  warrant  this  accusa- 
tion. And,  indeed,  it  is  an  open  question  whether 
any  theologian,  living  or  dead,  can  be  held  responsible 
for  it.  The  very  opposite  is  true,  as  is  set  forth  in 
the  exquisite  prophecy  of  Zechariah:  "Thussaith  the 
Lord  of  Hosts,  The  streets  of  Jerusalem  shall  be  full 
of  boys  and  girls  playing  in  the  streets  thereof " 
(Zech.  8,  s). 

A  Scotch  writer  tells  of  a  minister  entering  the 


124         THE    CHRIST-CHILD    AND     THE    INNOCENTS. 

kirkyard  and  finding  the  old  sexton  planting  seeds  of 
white  clover  on  the  grave  of  a  child  who  had  been 
buried  a  few  days  before.  "  Why  do  you  adorn  the 
little  grave? "  he  asked.  The  old  man  paused  and, 
looking  upward  reverently,  said,  *'  Of  such  is  the 
kingdom  of  heaven." — "  But  what  difference  does  it 
make?  "  asked  the  minister. — '*  Surely,  sir,  I  canna 
mak'  over-braw  an'  fine  the  bed-covering  o'  the  little 
innocent  that's  waitin'  here  until  it  be  God's  time  to 
wauken  it  and  cover  it  wi*  a  white  robe  an'  waft  it 
awa'  to  glory.  Where  sic  grandeur  is  awaitin*  it 
yonder,  it's  fit  it  should  be  decked  oot  here.  The 
Saviour  will  surely  see  the  white  clover.  Dinna  ye 
think  sae,  sir?  " — "  But  why  not  also  cover  the  larger 
graves?  Is  not  the  dust  of  all  his  saints  precious 
in  his  sight?" — "Vera  true,  sir,"  replied  the  sexton 
with  great  solemnity;  "but  I  canna  be  sure  wha  are 
his  saints  and  wha  are  no'.  I  hope  there's  many  o' 
them  lying  in  this  kirkyard ;  but  it  wad  be  great  pre- 
sumption to  mark  them  oot.  It's  clean  different 
though  with  the  bairns;  their  angels  do  always  behold 
the  Father's  face. " 

But  this  matter  goes  deeper  still;  touching  the 
obligation  of  all  believers  in  Christ.  It  was  a  wise 
thought  of  the  Master  to  care  for  the  children,  since 
"the  child  is  father  of  the  man;"  and  he  doubtless 
intended  that  his  Church,  set  for  the  propagation  of 
his  gospel,  should  here  follow  in  his  steps.  Nor  has 
the  church  been  wholly  recreant.  The  family  altar, 
as  the  visible  token  of  the  covenant,  is  in  evidence; 
and  the  Sunday-school,  where  millions  are  to-day 
singing  the  praises  of  Jesus' name;  and  numberless 
.asylums  and  protectories  for  orphans  and  waifs.     All 


THE    CHRIST-CHILD    AND    THE    INNOCENTS.  1 25 

these  are  born  of  the  Master's  kindly  thought.  But, 
alas!  the  sword  of  Herod  still  flashes  in  the  air.  In 
China  there  are  thousands  on  thousands  of  newborn 
children  exposed  to  death  on  the  hilltops.  The 
nursery  tale  of  the  Babes  in  the  Wood  is  no  fable; 
there  is  little  care  for  the  living,  and  as  for  the  dead, 
let  the  robins  come  and  cover  them  up.  And  there 
are  many  homes  in  Christendom  where  the  example 
of  ungodly  fathers  is  as  fatal  as  if  they  were  Herod's 
men-at-arms.  Do  we  shudder  at  the  thought  of  a 
Japanese  mother  selling  her  infant  to  a  life  of  shame? 
What  then  shall  be  said  of  mothers  in  society  who 
devote  their  daughters  to  lives  of  sinful  frivolity, 
which  can  end  only  in  spiritual  and  eternal  death  ? 
Our  streets  are  filled  with  homeless  urchins  and 
desolate  waifs.  Our  slums  reek  with  the  red  sacri- 
fice of  childhood.  In  our  industrial  life  there  are 
countless  boys  and  girls  employed  in  tasks  far 
heavier  than  was  the  apprenticeship  of  the  olden 
time. 

"Do  you  hear  the  children  weeping,  O  my  brothers? 

Ere  the  sorrow  comes  with  years  ? 

They   are   leaning    their   young   heads    against   their 
mothers, 

And  that  cannot  stop  their  tears. 
The  young  fawns  are  playing  with  the  shadows, 
The  young  flowers  are  blowing  toward  the  west, 
But  the  ypung,  young  children,  O  my  brothers. 
They  are  weeping  bitterly. 

They  look  up  with  their  pale,  sunken  faces 

And  their  look  is  dread  to  see; 

For  they  mind  you  of  the  angels  in  high  places 

With  eyes  turned  on  Deity." 

Sin  is  a  constant  factor   in   the  world's   life.     Its 
only  remedy  is  the  gospel,  and  the  work  of  the  gospel 


126  THE    CHRIST-CHILD    AND     THE    INNOCENTS. 

should  begin  with  the  opening  of  an  infant's  eyes.  It 
is  worthy  of  note  that  the  last  chapter  of  the  Old 
Testament,  like  the  dying  flash  of  a  torch  in  the 
deepening  darkness,  prophesies  the  rising  of  the  Sun 
of  Righteousness  in  fulness  of  time  with  healing  in 
his  wings ;  and  the  last  verse  of  that  chapter  declares 
that  the  sign  of  the  coming  day  shall  be  "  the  turn- 
ing of  the  hearts  of  the  fathers  unto  the  children." 
It  was  not  in  vain  that  the  death-cry  of  the  Innocents 
of  Bethlehem  was  mingled  with  the  song  of  the  her- 
ald-angels, if  the  hearts  of  future  generations  were  to 
be  quickened  thereby  to  a  deeper  love  of  childhood 
and  a  more  practical  recognition  of  the  importance 
of  winning  the  children  for  Christ. 

But  the  Advent-season  brings  to  our  remembrance 
above  all,  the  providence  that  guarded  the  Christ- 
child.  O  wonderful  child,  foretold  in  prophecy  and 
heralded  with  angels'  songs ;  in  vain  shall  the  mighty 
seek  thy  life,  since  the  Mightiest  careth  for  thee! 
Thou  shalt  live  to  meet  thy  destiny,  walking  among 
men  as  the  Wonderful,  with  heavenly  wisdom  on  thy 
lips  and  healing  in  thy  fingers.  O  wonderful  King, 
climbing  step  by  step  to  thy  throne  on  Calvary, 
where,  lifted  up  in  agony,  thou  wilt  draw  all  men 
unto  thee!  O  wonderful  Son  of  God  enthroned  in 
glory  high  and  lifted  up,  "expecting,  until  thou 
shalt  make  thine  enemies  thy  footstool!  "  Thou  art 
worthy  to  receive  honor  and  glory  and  power  and 
dominion  for  ever  and  ever! 

It  was  foretold  of  Christ  that  he  should  die  with- 
out issue :  "  He  shall  be  cut  off  out  of  the  land  of  the 
living;  and  who  shall  declare  his  generation?"  It 
was  predicted  also  that  in  due  time  a  numberless 


THE    CHRIST-CHILD    AND     THE    INNOCENTS.  I27 

progeny  should  rise  up  to  call  him  blessed:  '*  When 
thou  shalt  make  his  soul  an  offering  for  sin,  he  shall 
see  his  seed,  he  shall  prolong  his  days,  and  the  pleas- 
ure of  the  Lord  shall  prosper  in  his  hand.  He  shall 
see  of  the  travail  of  his  soul,  and  shall  be  satisfied." 
At  Heaven's  gate  stands  Rachel,  the  great  race- 
mother,  weeping  no  more  for  her  children,  but  giving 
them  welcome  to  their  Father's  house.  Thus  have 
we  seen  an  earthly  mother  standing  in  her  doorway 
at  evening  to  receive  her  little  ones.  Heaven  is  full 
of  children;  and  they  are  all  Christ's,  the  fruit  of  the 
travail  of  his  soul;  as  it  is  written,  "Ye  shall  go  out 
with  joy,  and  be  led  forth  with  peace;  the  moun- 
tains and  the  hills  shall  break  forth  before  you  into 
singing,  and  all  the  trees  of  the  field  shall  clap  their 
hands.  Instead  of  the  thorn  shall  come  up  the  fir 
tree,  and  instead  of  the  brier  shall  come  up  the  myr- 
tle tree;  and  //  shall  be  to  the  Lord  for  a  fiajtie,  for  an 
everlasting  sign  that  shall  not  be  cut  off." 


THE  DEMONIAC  OF  GADARA 

*'  And  ye  when  ye  pray,  say,  Lead  us  not  into  temptation  but  deliver  us 
from  the  evil  one."    Matt.  6,  13  (R.V.). 

"  And  they  came  over  unto  the  other  side  of  the  sea,  into  the  country  of  the 
Gadarenes.  And  when  he  was  come  out  of  the  ship,  immediately  there  met 
him  out  of  the  tombs  a  man  with  an  unclean  spirit."    Mark  s,  i,  2. 

Our  Lord  was  a  busy  man  and  this  was  one  of  his 
busiest  days.  He  had  been  preaching  from  a  little 
boat  rocking  at  the  water's  edge  to  a  multitude  assem- 
bled on  the  shore  of  Gennesaret.  His  theme  was  the 
Kingdom,  and  he  spoke  in  parables:  the  pearl,  the 
draw-net,  the  hid  treasure,  the  leaven,  the  mustard- 
seed;  adopting  the  method  of  the  kindergarten  in 
order  to  simplify  the  truths  of  the  spiritual  life.  But 
school-teaching  is  hard  work,  and  at  eventide  he  was 
weary.  *'  Let  us,"  he  said,  "  pass  over  to  the  other 
side."  His  companions,  whose  calling  made  them 
familiar  with  the  signs  of  the  weather,  were  not  with- 
out serious  forebodings;  but  at  his  command  they 
pushed  out.  And  Jesus,  lying  down  with  his  head  on 
the  helmsman's  cushion,  fell  into  a  deep  slumber.  We 
have  an  High  Priest  who  can  "be  touched  with  a  feel- 
ing of  our  infirmities. "  Let  us  be  grateful  that  he  can 
sympathize  with  us  in  common  toil  and  in  the  fatiguq 
that  follows  it. 


THE    DEMONIAC    OF    GADARA.  I 29 

"  Of  all  the  thoughts  of  God  that  are 
Borne  inward  unto  souls  afar 

Along  the  Psalmist's  music  deep, 
Now  tell  me  if  that  any  is 
For  gift  or  grace  surpassing  this, 

'He  giveth  His  beloved  sleep'  ?" 

While  Jesus  sleeps,  the  winds  come  roaring 
through  the  funnel-shaped  ravines  on  the  eastern 
heights,  and  the  waters  are  lashed  into  sudden  fury. 
The  mast  curves  to  the  gale,  the  sails  are  torn ;  the 
disciples  are  at  their  wits'  end.  They  bend  over  the 
sleeper,  crying,  "Master,  carest  thou  not  that  we 
perish  ?  "  He  rises,  stretches  forth  his  hands  and 
speaks  the  command,  "  Peace,  be  still."  O  wondrous 
miracle!  The  winds  go  straightway  whimpering  to 
their  caves  and  the  billows,  like  naughty  children, 
sob  themselves  to  rest.  And  the  disciples  say  one  to 
another,  "  What  manner  of  man  is  this  that  even  the 
winds  and  the  waves  obey  him!  " 

It  was  indeed  a  wondrous  miracle,  yet  not  so 
notable  as  that  which  followed  it.  As  the  boat 
reached  the  shore  and  Christ  and  his  disciples  were 
debarking,  a  man  came  running  to  meet  tliem  from 
his  dwelling  among  the  rock-hewn  tombs;  fierce, 
naked,  his  hands  uplifted,  with  a  broken  chain  clank- 
ing at  either  wrist,  uttering  half-articulate  cries  of 
mingled  blasphemy  and  prayer  and  piteous  appeals 
for  help.  Who  is  this  ?  Time  was  when  he  lay  an 
infant  on  his  mother's  breast,  and  she,  looking  into 
his  face,  dreamed  dreams  and  saw  visions;  when  as 
a  lad  he  played  merrily  with  his  companions  in  the 
village  streets;  when  as  a  youth  he  cherished  fond 
hopes  of  an  earnest,  useful  life.     Now  his  past  is  a 


130  THE    DEMONIAC  OF    GADARA. 

nightmare  and  his  future  thick  with  the  gathering 
shadows  of  a  hopeless  night.  Children  run  at  his 
approach  and  his  old  friends  and  neighbors  look 
askance,  whispering  to  each  other,  ' '  He  hath  a  devil, " 
What  does  that  mean  ? 

We  are  here  introduced  to  a  stupendous  fact;  to 
wit,  the  power  of  Satan  in  human  life.  It  is  common 
in  our  time  to  deny  the  personality  of  the  Evil  One; 
nor  should  this  occasion  any  surprise,  since  we  are 
living  in  an  age  of  denial.  Not  one  of  the  great 
fundamental  facts  of  the  spiritual  life  is  unquestioned. 
God  is  reduced  to  an  all-pervading  Law  or  Force; 
immortality  is  a  dream;  the  Bible  is  "literature"; 
Christ  is  simply  the  best  of  men;  heaven  is  a  figment 
of  the  imagination,  and  hell  is  an  outlived  supersti- 
tion. If  the  King  upon  his  throne  be  set  at  naught, 
why  should  it  be  deemed  strange  that  the  arch-con- 
spirator against  his  authority  should  be  regarded  as 
a  myth?  Yet,  at  the  risk  of  being  deemed  a  setter 
forth  of  old-fashioned  truth,  I  venture  the  statement 
that  nothing  in  the  spiritual  province  is  more  clearly 
demonstrated  than  the  personality  of  Satan.  Our 
Lord  has  put  himself  upon  record  in  the  petition, 
"Lead  us  not  into  temptation,  but  deliver  us  from 
the  Evil  One." 

It  is  strange  indeed  that  a  fact  so  universally 
attested  in  human  experience,  recognized  in  all  the 
ethnic  religions  and  accepted  through  all  past  cen- 
turies, should  be  called  in  question.  As  I  walked 
home  from  an  evening  service  with  my  Church  treas- 
urer twenty  years  ago,  we  spoke  of  certain  deeds  of 
violence  which  had  recently  been  perpetrated  in  the 
neighborhood  by  a  mysterious  garroter.      My  friend 


THE    DEMONIAC  OF   GADARA.  13! 

was  incredulous,  saying  that  the  whole  matter  was  a 
hoax  and  an  unfounded  rumor,  and  the  "  garrote  " 
an  impossibility.  I  had  scarcely  seated  myself  at 
home  when  there  came  a  violent  ring  at  the  door  and 
he  entered,  announcing  excitedly  that  he  had  been 
waylaid  and  relieved  of  the  evening  collection. 
When  I  suggested  that  the  garrote  was  impossible, 
he  replied  at  once,  "A  rumor  could  not  place  its 
knee  in  the  middle  of  my  back,  throw  its  arm  around 
my  neck  and  leave  a  black  mark  like  this!  "  We  are 
much  given  to  reasoning  against  our  own  experi- 
ence; and  so  in  this  matter  as  to  the  personality  of 
Satan.  We  have  felt  his  power  and  are  more  or  less 
constantly  under  his  influence,  and  what  is  to  be 
gained  by  denying  it  ? 

His  work  has  been  manifest  ever  since  the  Fall. 
God  made  man  to  reflect  his  own  holiness;  but  Satan, 
having  gained  an  entrance,  proceeded  to  corrupt  the 
race.  Things  went  from  bad  to  worse  until,  as  it  is 
written,  **God  looked  down  from  heaven  to  see  if 
there  was  any  that  wrought  righteousness  and  behold, 
there  is  none  that  doeth  good,  no,  not  one. "  Then 
came  the  Flood,  in  which  God  washed  the  world  like 
a  soiled  garment.  And  again  the  process  of  degener- 
ation went  on  under  the  influence  of  Satan  until  the 
sins  of  the  people  gave  "a  stinking  savor  in  the  nos- 
trils of  God."  At  length  when  they  defied  him  in 
the  Vale  of  Shinar  he  sent  them  hither  and  yon, 
gibbering  in  the  confusion  of  tongues.  The  Call  of 
Abraham  marks  a  new  effort  to  lift  the  race  to  better 
things.  But  the  history  of  Israel  is  the  oft-told  tale 
of  persistent  sin;  the  lights  of  the  sanctuary  were 
finally  extinguished  and  the  Old  Economy  faded  into 


132  THE    DEMONIAC  OF    GADARA. 

a  dark  night  of  four  hundred  years.      Then  the  Sun 
of  Righteousness  arose  with  healing  in  his  wings. 

At  the  Advent  and  during  the  ministry  of  Jesus 
there  were  such  manifestations  of  diabolical  power 
as  never  had  been  seen  on  the  earth.  The  incarnate 
Son  of  God  was  regarded  by  men  as  "a  root  out 
of  a  dry  ground  "  and  "  there  was  no  beauty  that  we 
should  desire  him  ;  "  but  the  Prince  of  Darkness  knew 
him  as  the  Knight-errant  who  had  come  from  Heaven, 
clothed  with  divine  grace  and  power,  to  deliver  the 
world  from  sin.  It  was  not  to  be  expected  that  he, 
as  the  Prince  of  this  World,  would  surrender  his 
dominion  without  a  fierce  struggle.  To  prevent  the 
work  of  redemption,  he  summoned  all  the  hosts  of 
darkness.  "  Hasten,  hasten,  O  ye  spirits,  from  its 
station  drag  yon  ponderous  cross,  that,  mocking, 
is  uplifted  high  in  air ! "  Wherever  a  heart  was 
open,  the  emissaries  of  Satan  entered  and  took 
possession.  The  demoniac  of  Gadara  was  one  of 
many  who  thus  offered  themselves  to  the  malignant 
influence.  Christ  himself  was  not  free  from  the 
approaches  of  the  Adversary.  From  a  lofty  mountain 
top  he  directed  the  thought  of  Jesus,  with  a  wave  of 
his  hand,  to  the  kingdoms  of  this  world,  saying,  "I 
know  why  thou  hast  come;  but,  behold,  I  show  thee 
an  easier  way  to  the  Kingdom.  I  am  the  acknowl- 
edged Prince  of  this  World;  one  act  of  homage  and  I 
will  abdicate ;  bow  down  and  worship  me !  "  Thwarted 
here  as  elsewhere,  he  took  possession  of  the  heart  of 
Judas  and  accomplished  the  betrayal  of  Christ  to 
ignominious  death.  The  last  die  was  thrown  to  his 
own  discomfiture;  Jesus  expired,  saying,  "It  is  fin- 
ished."   The  race  which  had  sold  itself  under  sin  was 


THE   DEMONIAC  OF   GADARA.  135 

at  length  redeemed  by  the  vicarious  pain  of  the  cross. 
Not  yet  is  the  world  delivered  from  its  bondage;  the 
struggle  goes  on,  but  the  end  is  in  sight.  The  power 
of  Satan  is  fatally  crippled  by  the  gospel;  more  and 
more  the  regions  of  darkness  and  of  the  shadow  of 
death  are  being  illuminated  by  the  light  streaming 
from  the  cross.  The  time  draws  near  when  the 
apocalyptic  vision  shall  be  realized  in  the  great  con- 
flict of  Armageddon;  when  the  Prince  of  Darkness 
shall  be  cast  into  the  bottomless  pit,  and  cries  shall 
be  heard,  "Babylon  the  great  is  fallen!"  Then  Jesus 
shall  reign  where'er  the  sun  doth  his  successive  jour- 
neys run. 

Meanwhile,  there  is  no  surrender.  The  power  of 
Satan  is  manifest  on  every  side;  "he  walketh  about 
as  a  roaring  lion,  seeking  whom  he  may  devour." 
His  emissaries  are  everywhere.  .  .  .  There  is  the 
Demon  of  Drink,  whose  victims  go  reeling  through 
our  streets,  wrecked  in  body  and  soul,  downward  to 
the  endless  night  from  which  returns  the  voice,  "  No 
drunkard  shall  inherit  the  kingdom  of  God,"  A 
man  recently  came  to  see  me,  desperate  in  this  cruel 
bondage,  to  whom  I  said,  "God  stands  ready  to 
help,  and  you  must  stop  now  in  your  reckless  career 
or  you  are  a  lost  man."  He  replied,  "Don't  speak 
to  me  of  hell;  I'm  in  hell  now!"  ....  There  is  the 
Demon  of  Impurity  also.  Open  the  morning  news- 
paper and  see  how  it  drips  and  reeks  with  the  foulest 
sewage.  Walk  through  Twenty-ninth  street  nearby, 
on  this  Sabbath  night,  and  see  the  multitude  of 
young  men  and  women  openly  flaunting  their  shame. 
....  And  there  is  the  Demon  of  the  Dice,  who  is 
dragging  multitudes  down    every  day.       I  visited  a 


134  THE  DEMONIAC  OF  GADARA. 

gambling  den  in  company  with  an  officer  one  Saturday 
night  and  saw  men  of  the  working  class  come  in  and 
lay  their  week's  earnings  on  the  table.  There  was 
the  sweat  of  their  brows;  there  was  their  children's 
bread.  And  as  they  awaited  the  issue,  their  eyes  glit- 
tered with  a  light  that  was  not  of  this  world ;  it  seemed 

a  very  reflection  of  the  unquenchable  fire And 

there  is  the  Demon  of  Avarice.  How  many  have 
surrendered  themselves  to  his  sway!  Auri  sacra 
fames.  The  passion  for  gold  is  as  utterly  base  and 
destructive  as  any  of  the  more  vulgar  forms  of  vice. 
The  Lord  spake  advisedly  in  denouncing  this  yellow- 
faced  demon:  "How  hardly  shall  they  that  have 
riches  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven!  Yea,  I  say 
unto  you  it  is  easier  for  a  camel  to  pass  through  the 
eye  of  a  needle  than  for  a  man  who  trusteth  in  riches 
to  enter  the  kingdom  of  God. "  .  .  .  .  And  there  is 
the  Demon  of  Infidelity,  pointing  with  one  scornful 
finger  at  Christ  and  with  the  other  at  the  Bible; 
jeering  at  holy  things,  at  truths  sanctified  by  the 
faith  of  the  fathers.  A  young  man  who  had  fallen 
under  this  influence,  lay  adying  and  an  atheistical 
friend  called  to  comfort  him.  "Go,"  he  said;  "you 
have  sapped  my  faith  in  sacred  things;  you  have 
robbed  me  of  all  that  I  once  believed  and  loved.  Go 
now,  and  let  me  die  in  the  dark!  " 

But  what  am  I  doing,  calling  the  roll  of  the  spirits 
of  evil  ?  Their  name  is  legion  on  legion.  Let  us 
not  disavow  the  facts  of  observation.  Let  us  not 
deny  the  sight  of  our  eyes.  The  practical  question  is. 
Am  I  harboring  any  such  malign  influence  in  my  own 
soul  ?  I  do  not  believe  that  Pascal  was  right  when  he 
said,  "A  man  is  half  angel  and  half  devil;"  but  I  do 


THE   DEMONIAC  OF   GADARA.  135 

believe  that  the  influence  of  Satan  is  over  every  one. 
All  sin  is  devilish.  All  meanness,  selfishness,  un- 
truthfulness, dishonesty,  uncleanness  and  unbelief 
proceed  from  the  Evil  One.  Demoniacal  possession 
is  a  fact  in  common  life;  there  are  many  phases  of 
iniquity  which  cannot  be  accounted  for  in  any  other 
way.  Some  have  given  themselves  over  to  the  evil 
power;  others  are  making  a  brave  struggle;  all  alike 
need  to  pray,  "Lead  us  not  into  temptation,  but 
deliver  us  from  the  Evil  One."  We  confess  our  bond- 
age to  habit;  we  are  conscious  that  not  infrequently 
our  evil  habits  get  the  upperhand  of  us.  But  what 
is  habit,  in  the  last  reduction,  but  complicity  with 
Satan?  It  is  an  alliance  with  the  Prince  of  Darkness 
in  the  commission  of  any  customary  sin. 

Let  us  return  now  to  the  lake  shore.  Our  Lord 
and  his  disciples  have  just  landed  from  the  little  boat. 
The  demoniac,  with  hands  threateningly  uplifted,  is 
running  toward  them.  What  shall  they  do?  Flee 
from  him?  Cast  stones  at  him?  Nay;  let  him  alone; 
One  greater  than  Satan  is  here.  Would  that  we  might 
have  seen  what  then  took  place!  It  was  the  grapple 
of  the  strong  Son  of  God  with  the  Evil  One,  a  fore- 
gleam  of  Armageddon.  Christ  speaks,  "  Come  out 
of  him,  thou  unclean  spirit!  "  There  is  a  crying  and 
rending,  a  struggle  of  body  and  soul.  The  supreme 
moment  has  come.  The  man  utters  a  fierce  cry  of 
farewell  to  the  Adversary  and  falls  prone  upon  the 
earth.  Lift  him  now  tenderly,  and  cast  a  garment 
about  him.  The  man  is  dispossessed.  A  few  moments 
later  he  sits  at  Jesus'  feet,  "  clothed  and  in  his  right 
mind."  Ah,  what  was  the  stilling  of  the  tempest  to 
this  miracle  of  deliverance  ? 


136  THE  DEMONIAC  OF  GADARA. 

"  'Twas  great  to  call  a  world  from  naught, 
'Tis  greater  to  redeem." 

The  Christ  who  saved  this  demoniac  is  the  same 
to-day,  yesterday  and  forever.  With  the  same  eyes 
he  beholds  the  struggles  of  sinful  men.  "  His  eyes 
run  to  and  fro  through  all  the  earth  to  behold  the 
evil  and  the  good."  He  who  saw  the  demoniac  on 
the  other  side  of  Gennesaret  and  went  over  to  help 
him,  sees  every  staggering  drunkard,  every  lost 
woman  in  her  shame,  the  thief  now  prowling  through 
our  streets. — And  he  has  the  same  heart  to  pity.  He 
can  make  no  allowance  for  sin,  but  dies  for  sinners 
and  regards  them  with  infinite  pity.  It  is  written  of 
Titus,  that  during  the  siege  of  Jerusalem  he  looked 
down  upon  the  doomed  city  and  cursed  the  obstinacy 
of  the  people  who  were  bound  to  die.  How  different 
was  the  emotion  in  the  heart  of  Jesus  who  sat  over 
against  the  same  city  and  wept,  saying,  "O  Jerusa- 
lem, how  often  would  I  have  gathered  thy  children 
together,  even  as  a  hen  gathereth  her  chickens  under 
her  wings,  and  ye  would  not!" — And  he  has  the 
same  strong  arm  to  help;  an  arm  made  bare  in 
behalf  of  every  sinner  who  would  be  saved.  There 
is  more  power  in  his  wounded  hand  than  in  all  the 
marshaled  hosts  of  Satan.  If  he  be  for  us,  the  gates 
of  hell  shall  not  prevail  against  us. 

No  doubt  the  friends  and  neighbors  of  this  Gada- 
rene  held  many  a  conference  as  to  what  might  be 
done  to  reclaim  him.  It  would  be  vain  to  reprove 
him  for  lawlessness;  what  cared  he  for  law?  "  Let 
us  commit  him  to  prison,"  they  said;  but  he  broke 
his  chains  as  if  they  had  been  green  withs.  Some, 
believing  in  "ethical   culture,"  may  have  suggested 


THE    DEMONIAC  OF    GADARA.  137 

the  reading  of  Plato's  "  Dialogues  "  to  him;  if  so, 
they  had  their  labor  for  their  pains.  Of  what  use  is 
the  law  cure,  the  prison  cure,  the  culture  cure  or  the 
asylum  cure  in  such  cases  ?  We  must  needs  look 
unto  the  hills  from  whence  cometh  our  help.  Pledges 
and  resolutions  are  of  little  avail.  Christ  came  to 
destroy  the  works  of  the  Devil  and  he  alone  can  do  it. 
To  a  friend  who  was  urging  the  excellent  tendency  of 
certain  benevolent  schemes,  Coleridge  replied,  as  he 
cast  a  bit  of  thistle-down  into  the  air,  "The  tendency 
of  this  is  toward  China;  but  we  know  it  will  never 
get  there."  So  is  it  with  every  other  plan  of  com- 
plete and  ultimate  reformation,  except  that  which  is 
contained  in  the  Gospel  of  Christ. 

As  John  B.  Gough  was  reeling  through  the  streets 
of  Newburyport,  a  humble  cobbler,  noting  the  des- 
perate strait  of  the  poor  drunkard,  laid  a  hand  upon 
his  shoulder  and  said  kindly,  pointing  upward,  "John, 
there  is  one  that  can  help  thee."  That  marked  the 
turning-point  of  his  life.  He  gave  up  every  other 
reliance  and  threw  himself  upon  the  omnipotent  help 
of  God. 

Is  there  a  mother  here  praying  for  her  son,  a  way- 
ward son  whom  all  others  have  given  up  ?  Let  her 
remember  that  Jesus  knows  no  "desperate  cases." 
He  loved  to  heal  those  who  had  wasted  all  their  sub- 
stance on  physicians  and  were  none  the  better  for  it. 
He  succeeded  where  all  others  failed.  When  he  was 
in  the  Mount  of  Transfiguration,  a  man  brought  his 
demoniac  son  to  the  disciples  who  were  gathered  at 
the  foot  of  the  mountain  and  besought  them  to  heal 
him;  but  they  could  not.  The  Scribes  and  Pharisees 
came   and    taunted     them.       Then    down    from    the 


138         THE  DEMONIAC  OF  GADARA. 

mountain  the  Lord  came,  his  face  still  shining  with 
the  glory;  and  he  rebuked  the  cavilers,  saying, 
"What  question  ye  with  them  ?  "  But  before  they 
could  answer,  the  father  of  the  demoniac  had  pros- 
trated himself  before  him,  saying,  "  I  brought  my  son, 
who  hath  an  evil  spirit,  to  thy  disciples  and  besought 
them  to  heal  him  and  they  could  not.  O  Master,  if 
thou  canst  do  anything,  have  compassion  upon  us 
and  heal  him!"  And  Jesus  said,  "Bring  him  unto 
me."  The  afiflicted  lad  was  brought,  writhing  in 
convulsions  and  foaming  at  the  lips.  "  Come  out  of 
him,  thou  unclean  spirit,"  said  Jesus,  "and  enter  no 
more  into  him!  "  And  the  lad  was  healed  in  that  self- 
same hour.  We  may  fail,  all  philanthropists  may 
fail;  but  Jesus  never  fails.  He  answers  prayer.  He 
is  the  Mighty  to  save.  He  is  able  to  save  unto  the 
uttermost  all  who  come  unto  him. 

It  is  recorded  of  the  Gadarenes,  that  after  this 
miracle  they  "besought  Jesus  that  he  would  depart 
out  of  their  coasts."  They  had  seen  the  working  of 
a  mighty  power  which  they  could  not  understand, 
and  were  affrighted  by  it.  And,  alas!  he  took  them 
at  their  word.  The  little  boat  was  loosed;  and 
yonder  he  goes.  Farewell!  Farewell  thou  hope  of 
Gadara!  Nay,  merciful  Jesus,  come  back!  There 
are  sick  folk  in  Gadara  to  be  healed;  there  are  other 
demoniacs  to  be  dispossessed;  there  are  sinners  to  be 
forgiven.  Come  back  and  make  this  wilderness  of 
Gadara  to  blossom  as  the  rose! 

We  are  praying  for  a  revival  in  New  York.  O 
for  an  outpouring  of  God's  Holy  Spirit  upon  us!  O 
for  the  quickening  of  the  churches  and  the  salvation 
of  sinners!     But  why  do  we  thus   tarry  in   prayer? 


THE  DEMONIAC  OF  GADARA.  1 39 

All  God  wants  is  to  see  a  readiness  on  our  part  to 
receive  the  blessing  which  he  stands  ready  to  bestow. 
We  are  keeping  him  at  arm's  length  by  our  half- 
heartedness,  by  our  worldliness  and  continuance  in 
sin.  May  he  make  us  willing  in  the  day  of  his 
power;  and  "  the  day  of  his  power  "  is  now. 

One  word  remains.  This  man  of  Gadara  held 
the  key  of  his  own  soul.  The  door  could  not  be 
opened  from  without.  It  is  for  every  man  to  say 
whether  Jesus  shall  come  in  and  possess  him.  But 
this  is  certain,  Christ  and  Satan  cannot  dwell 
together.  We  observe  in  this  Gadarene  the  struggle 
of  two  personalities;  one  of  them  was  the  demon, 
crying,  "What  have  I  to  do  with  thee,  thou  Son  of 
the  most  high  God  ?  Why  art  thou  come  to  torment 
me  ?  "  The  other  was  the  man  himself,  who,  know- 
ing his  desperate  case  and  longing  to  be  delivered, 
ran  toward  Jesus.  There  is  a  like  struggle  in  every 
man,  "a  war  in  our  members"  as  Paul  called  it. 
The  influence  of  Satan  is  ever  holding  us  back  from 
Christ,  while  our  better  nature  would  fain  run  to 
him  for  salvation  and  life.  Let  us  yield  to  our 
nobler  impulses.  Let  us  open  the  door  to  Christ 
and  bid  him  enter.  He  will  sweep  and  garnish  our 
souls;  he  will  sprinkle  his  blood  upon  the  lintels, 
and  make  us  temples  meet  for  the  indwelling  of  the 
Spirit  of  God. 


BACK    TO    CHRIST 

"  And  Jesus  saith,  Follow  me." — Matt.  4,  19. 

The  watchword  of  the  Christian  life  is  "Follow." 
It  rings  like  a  clarion  from  the  Master's  lips.  At  the 
beginning  of  his  ministry  he  said  to  the  fishermen  of 
Genessaret  as  they  were  drawing  their  nets,  "  Follow 
me."  In  similar  phrase  he  pressed  his  claims  on  the 
young  ruler  and  Matthew  the  tax-gatherer.  As  his 
ministry  was  drawing  to  a  close  he  laid  down  this 
rigid  rule  of  service:  "  If  any  man  will  come  after 
me,  let  him  deny  himself,  take  up  his  cross  and  fol- 
low me."  There  is  inspiration  in  the  word ;  it  sug- 
gests a  flashing  sword,  a  waving  banner. 

Ours  is  an  age  of  unrest.  We  are  intoxicated  by 
the  fire-waters  of  progress.  The  old  faiths,  old 
methods,  old  landmarks  are  inadequate  to  meet  the 
necessities  of  "advanced  thought. "  The  bottles  that 
held  the  religion  of  the  fathers  are  bursting  with  the 
superior  wisdom  of  their  children.  Our  revolt  against 
the  authority  of  the  elders  must  not,  however,  blind 
us  to  the  fact  that  truth  is  authentic  and  peremptory 
whether  it  be  traditional  or  not.  Some  things  are 
unchangeable  in  the  nature  of  the  case;  among  which 
are  Christ  and  his  Gospel.  The  ingenuity  of  modern 
scientists  has  been  unable  as  yet  to  suggest  any  im- 
provement in  air,  sunshine  or  spring-water.      In  our 

(140) 


BACK    TO   CHRIST.  14T 

eagerness  to  cast  off  age-old  error  and  falsehood  let 
us  take  heed  that  we  do  not  wander  away  from  the 
immutable  verities.  By  all  means  ''Ring  out  the 
old,  ring  in  the  new,"  if  we  are  quite  sure  that  in  do- 
ing so  we  "  Ring  out  the  false,  ring  in  the  true."  No 
one  will  take  issue  with  the  cry,  "  Ring  in  the  valiant 
man  and  free;  ring  in  the  Christ  that  is  to  be,"  if  it 
be  understood  that  the  Christ  of  the  future  is  the 
very  same  that  preached  in  the  streets  of  Jerusalem 
and  by  the  shores  of  the  Galilean  lake.  He  has  no 
new  graces  of  character  to  offer,  nor  any  new  dicta  in 
theology;  he  makes  no  new  terms  of  salvation  to  the 
people  of  our  time.  If  we  in  our  eagerness  to  keep 
abreast  of  progress  have  permitted  ourselves  to  turn 
aside  from  the  plain  teachings  of  the  gospel  in  any 
measure  whatever,  it  will  be  wise  for  us  as  followers 
of  Christ  to  return  to  him.  It  is  never  safe  to  exceed 
our  marching  orders  or  advance  beyond  the  pillar  of 
cloud.  "Back  to  Christ!"  is  a  wholesome  admoni- 
tion for  this  restless  age. 

At  the  outset  it  behooves  us  to  return  to  the  Cross 
as  the  only  Plan  of  Salvation.  This  is  spes  unica.  It  is 
written  that  Jesus  was  so  named  "because  he  should 
save  his  people  from  their  sins." 

If  you  are  not  a  Christian,  you  may  regard  all 
religions  as  equally  true,  insisting  that  a  Buddhist  or 
a  Confucianist  or  a  Moslem  has  a  reasonable  hope  of 
salvation  if  he  only  lives  up  to  his  light.  But  if  you 
profess  to  be  a  follower  of  Christ  you  have  no  alter- 
native but  to  accept  the  Master's  view.  He  claims  to 
be  the  only  Saviour.  The  Gospel  as  he  preached  it 
is  exclusive  and  tolerates  no  rivals  or  competitors. 
If  the  religion  of  the  Scriptures  is  true,  all  others  are 


142  BACK    TO    CHRIST. 

false.  "I  am  the  door,"  said  Christ;  "all  that  ever 
came  before  me  are  thieves  and  robbers;  "  and  again, 
"  No  man  cometh  unto  the  Father  but  by  me." 

If  you  are  not  a  Christian,  you  may  trust  to  the 
sufficiency  of  morality,  claiming  that  God  requires 
nothing  more  of  a  man  than  that  he  shall  tell  the 
truth,  pay  his  honest  debts  and  live  justly  and  chari- 
tably toward  his  fellow  men.  But  if  you  follow 
Christ,  you  must  believe  what  he  says,  to  wit,  that 
holiness  is  the  prerequisite  to  spiritual  and  eternal 
life.  And  holiness  is  vastly  more  than  morality:  it 
is  an  absolute  freedom  from  sin.  This  is  wrought  by 
the  cleansing  of  Christ's  blood;  and  "without  the 
shedding  of  blood  there  is  no  remission  of  sin." 

If  you  are  not  a  Christian,  you  may  assert  the  un- 
conditioned efficacy  of  divine  love.  There  are  many 
who  profess  to  belive  that,  since  the  great  atonement 
has  been  wrought,  all  men  are  to  be  saved,  willing 
or  unwilling.  But,  if  you  are  a  Christian,  you  must 
defer  to  Christ's  decision  in  these  premises.  He  says 
there  is  a  place  where  the  pains  of  remorse  are  as  the 
gnawing  of  an  undying  worm  and  the  burning  of  an 
unquenchable  fire.  He  teaches  that  the  gift  of  eter- 
nal life  is  conditioned  on  the  exercise  of  personal 
faith.  It  is  not  his  cross  that  saves,  but  our  grip  on 
the  cross.  God  does  not  so  love  men  as  to  force  sal- 
vation upon  them;  he  "so  loved  the  world  that  he 
gave  his  only-begotten  Son  that  whosoever  believeth 
in  him  should  not  perish  but  have  eternal  life." 

The  call  "Back  to  Christ"  suggests  also  a  return 
from  all  Variant  Forms  of  Belief.  A  good  deal  is  be- 
ing said  just  now  as  to  the  importance  of  cutting 
loose  from  the  tyranny  of  creeds.       It  is  quite  true 


BACK    TO   CHRIST.  I43 

that  no  man  should  permit  himself  to  be  held  in  the 
bondage  of  uninspired  symbols.  But  this  does  not 
signify  that  we  are  warranted  in  cutting  loose  from 
all  formulated  systems  of  belief.  A  creedless  man  is 
a  poor  specimen  of  humanity.  The  Nicene,  Athan- 
asian  and  Apostles'  Creeds  have  very  great  value,  but 
always  as  beacons  and  never  as  fagot-fires.  We  may 
take  issue  with  Calvin  or  Augustine,  with  the  Synod 
of  Dort  or  the  Westminster  Assembly,  with  all  ecclesi- 
astical authority  whatsoever,  if  we  choose;  but  as 
Christians  we  have  one  creed  to  which  we  stand 
covenanted  in  absolute  and  unquestioning  loyalty, 
to  wit,  the  Creed  of  Christ.  He  believed  certain 
things  and  taught  them;  and  his  teaching  is  yea  and 
amen  to  those  who  follow  him. 

One  of  the  phases  of  current  thought  is  the  deper- 
sonalizing of  God.  He  is  set  forth  as  the  all-pervad- 
ing force  or  energy  of  the  universe.  If  you  are  not 
a  Christian,  you  may  accept  that  dictum  of  contem- 
porary unbelief.  But  if  you  profess  to  be  a  disciple 
of  Christ,  you  must  needs  believe  in  God  as  Christ 
believed  in  him. 

There  is  also  a  disposition  among  the  thinkers  of 
our  time  to  eliminate  the  supernatural  from  the 
philosophy  of  the  universe.  The  incarnation  of  Jesus 
and  his  resurrection,  together  with  all  his  alleged 
miracles,,  are  ascribed  to  material  causes.  As  follow- 
ers of  Christ  we  are  not  at  liberty  to  accept  that  view 
since  Christ  himself  asserted  the  contrary.  He 
claimed  a  supernatural  birth,  was  constantly  doing 
things  that  natural  law  is  inadequate  to  account  for, 
and  asserted,  toward  the  close  of  his  ministry,  that 
he  was  about  to  return  to  ''the  glory  which  he  had 


144  BACK    TO    CHRIST. 

with  the  Father  before  the  world  was."  To  the  dis- 
ciples of  John  the  Baptist  he  said,  **  Go  tell  him  the 
things  that  ye  have  seen  and  heard ;  the  blind  receive 
their  sight,  the  lame  walk,  the  lepers  are  cleansed, 
the  deaf  hear  and  the  dead  are  raised."  In  other 
words,  he  lived  and  wrought  in  the  realm  of  the 
supernatural,  and  was  constantly  drawing  upon  the 
unknown  laws  and  forces  which  center  in  the  per- 
sonal, invisible  God. 

As  to  the  fact  and  method  of  a  divine  Revelation, 
also,  there  is  much  controversy.  The  absolute  truth 
of  the  Scriptures  is  impugned.  They  are  character- 
ized as  "literature  "  and  assigned  to  a  place  among 
other  books.  If  you  are  not  a  Christian,  you  are 
quite  at  liberty  to  hold  that  view.  You  may  believe 
that  Genesis  is  a  compendium  of  old  legends  and  tra- 
ditions; that  Deuteronomy  is  a  wholesale  forgery; 
that  Solomon's  Song  is  a  sensuous  epithalamium;and 
that  the  Gospels  are  a  patchwork  of  mingled  truth 
and  falsehood.  But  as  a  Christian  you  are  bound  to 
receive  the  testimony  of  Christ  as  ultimate  in  that 
matter.  He  was  infinitely  wise  and  infinitely  honest, 
yet  he  never  betrayed  by  word  or  suggestion  that  he 
regarded  the  Scriptures  as  otherwise  than  wholly 
trustworthy  at  every  point.  He  found  no  fault  in 
them  at  all.  On  the  other  hand  he  characterized 
them  as  truth.  In  his  pontifical  prayer  for  his  dis- 
ciples he  said,  "  Sanctify  them  by  thy  word  ;  thy  word 
is  truth."  And  he  enjoined  men  to  search  the  Scrip- 
tures, adding,  "  For  in  them  ye  think  ye  have  eternal 
life  and  these  are  they  which  testify  of  me." 

Still  further,  the  watchword  "Back  to  Christ" 
suggests  a  return  from  all  unauthorized  Rules  of  Conduct. 


BACK    TO   CHRIST.  1 45 

We  stand  continually  at  the  cross-roads.  How  shall 
we  discern  betwixt  the  worse  and  better  reason  ?  A 
young  ruler  in  like  perplexity  asked  of  Jesus,  "What 
shall  I  do  that  I  may  inherit  eternal  life  ?  "  The 
reply  was,  "Whatreadest  thou  in  the  Law  ?  "  The 
question  and  answer  alike  had  reference  to  the  code 
of  right  living.  The  Law  referred  to,  as  the  context 
shows,  was  the  Decalogue. 

It  is  sometimes  said  that  Christ  abrogated  the  Ten 
Commandments.  There  is  nothing  whatever  in  his 
teachings  to  justify  that  assertion.  The  law  of  life 
as  laid  down  in  the  Decalogue  is,  "Thou  shalt  not 
kill."  Did  our  Lord  abrogate  that  law,  or  did  he 
not  rather  emphasize  and  fortify  it  when  he  said, 
"Whosoever  is  angry  with  his  brother  without  a 
cause  shall  be  in  danger  of  the  judgment;  and  who- 
soever shall  say  to  his  brother,  Raca,  shall  be  in 
danger  of  the  council;  but  whosoever  shall  say.  Thou 
fool,  shall  be  in  danger  of  hell  fire  "  ? — The  law  of 
chastity  as  given  in  the  Decalogue  is,  "  Thou  shalt 
not  commit  adultery."  Did  Christ  abrogate  that 
law,  or  did  he  not  rather  lay  a  profound  emphasis 
upon  it  when  he  said,  "Whosoever  looketh  upon  a 
woman  to  lust  after  her  hath  already  committed 
adultery  in  his  heart  "  ? — The  law  of  common  honesty 
is,  "Thou  shalt  not  steal."  Was  it  less  or  more 
that  Jesu:s  said  in  the  Golden  Rule,  "Whatsoever  ye 
would  that  men  should  do  to  you,  do  ye  even  so  to 
them  "  ? — The  law  of  the  Sabbath  requires  the  hal- 
lowing of  that  day.  Did  not  Christ  honor  that  re- 
quirement and  invest  it  with  far  more  rigid  sanctions 
when  he  said,  "The  Sabbath  was  made  for  man," 
that  is,  for  the  promotion  of  his  spiritual  and  eternal 


146  BACK    TO    CHRIST. 

welfare  by  deeds  of  charity  and  communion  with 
God? — Was  there  any  modification  of  the  Decalogue 
in  the  brief  Summary  which  he  gave?  "The  first 
and  great  commandment  is,  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord 
thy  God  with  all  thy  heart  and  soul  and  mind  and 
strength;  and  the  second  is  like  unto  it,  Thou  shalt 
love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself  "  ?  Nay,  here  and  every- 
where in  his  doctrine  and  by  his  personal  example  he 
shows  his  loyalty  and  rigid  adherence  to  those  funda- 
mental precepts  which  are  written  in  the  very  consti- 
tution of  our  race.  In  general  terms  he  enjoined  a 
scrupulous  abstinence  from  all  sin;  meaning  by  sin 
any  want  of  conformity  unto  or  transgression  of  the 
divine  law.  He  knew  no  peccadilloes;  he  allowed  no 
little  sins.  "Whosoever  shall  break  one  of  these 
least  commandments,"  he  said,  "and  shall  teach 
men  so,  shall  be  called  least  in  the  kingdom  of 
heaven ;  but  whosoever  shall  do  and  teach  them,  the 
same  shall  be  called  great  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven." 

If  you  are  not  a  Christian,  you  are  free  to  take  the 
most  liberal  views  of  your  relations  to  the  Moral 
Law.  But  no  Christian  can  be  an  antinomian.  He 
must  follow  where  Christ  leads  and  must  accept  the 
ethical  system  which  his  Master  prescribed  for  him. 

A7id,  finally,  as  to  the  great  Purpose  of  Life.  It  has 
been  said,  "  The  secret  of  success  is  to  grasp  the 
handle  of  one's  being."  What  are  we  here  for?  And 
what  do  we  propose  to  do? 

If  you  are  not  a  professed  follower  of  Christ,  you 
may  devote  yourself  to  money  getting  or  to  the  pur- 
suit of  pleasure  as  the  highest  good  or  to  the  attain- 
ment of  the  world's  honors  and  emoluments.  But  as 
a  Christian,  if  these  things  have  occupied  the  fore- 


BACK    TO    CHRIST.  147 

most  place  in  your  thought  and  purpose,  it  is  high 
time  you  were  getting  back  to  Christ.  For  his 
injunction  is,  "  Seek  ye  first  of  all  the  kingdom  of 
God  and  his  righteousness,  and  all  these  things — 
that  is,  so  far  as  they  are  necessary  or  desirable — 
shall  be  added  unto  you." 

The  beginnings  of  this  Kingdom,  so  far  as  we  are 
individually  concerned,  are  in  the  narrow  circle  of 
our  home-life.  "  Go  down  to  thy  house,"  said  Jesus 
to  the  dispossessed  demoniac,  "and  show  what  great 
things  the  Lord  hath  done  for  thee." 

In  the  church,  also,  as  followers  of  Christ,  we 
serve  the  kingdom  as  laborers  together  with  him. 
My  friend,  have  you  taken  your  place  there?  If  you 
make  no  profession  of  devotion  to  Christ,  you  may 
feel  free  to  hold  yourself  aloof  from  his  people;  but 
as  a  Christian  you  will  give  unquestioning  heed  to 
his  will  and  word.  He  instituted  the  church.  It  is 
the  net  in  the  hands  of  his  people  who  are  ordained 
to  be  fishers  of  men.  If  it  be  not  a  perfect  net,  it 
behooves  all  who  sincerely  love  him  to  help  mend  as 
well  as  draw  it. 

And  then  in  the  larger  province  of  the  world. 
The  people  of  Christ  must  be  cosmopolites.  The 
commission  of  the  Master  is,  "Go  ye  into  all  the 
world  and  evangelize."  Go  in  person,  if  possible, 
but  in  any  case  by  your  prayer  and  influence.  All 
who  believe  in  Christ  and  truly  love  and  follow  him 
must  go.  Who  is  this  that  says,  "I  do  not  believe 
in  Foreign  Missions"  ?  Surely  not  a  Christian.  For 
how  could  any  Christian  interpose  an  objection  to  the 
command  of  his  Lord?  A  Christian  is  one  to  whom 
the  merest   word   of  Christ   is  an   edict   from   the 


148  BACK    TO    CHRIST. 

throne.  Look  to  your  marching  orders!  Take  your 
place  in  the  rank  and  file  of  believers,  and  on  to  the 
conquest  of  the  world  for  Christ! 

We  close  where  we  began.  The  watchword  of  the 
Christian  life  is,  "Follow  me."  The  admonition, 
"  Back  to  Christ  !  "  means  something.  It  is  more 
than  a  mere  emotional  or  transcendental  phrase.  It 
directs  us  to  Christ  as  our  Prophet,  Priest  and  King. 
As  our  Priest,  he  alone  can  make  atonement  tor  us ; 
as  our  Prophet,  his  instructions  as  to  both  faith  and 
conduct  are  ultimate;  and  as  our  King,  he  should 
rule  with  an  undisputed  sway.  The  word  of  the 
virgin  mother  to  the  servants  at  Cana  is  the  word  for 
all  true  followers  of  Christ,  "  Whatsoever  he  saith 
unto  you  do  it!  " 

Is  this  standard  of  loyalty  too  rigid?  It  is  rigid 
but  reasonable.  Let  it  be  submitted  to  the  judgment 
of  those  who  do  not  profess  to  follow  Christ.  They 
sometimes  applaud  the  heretic  and  loose-liver;  but  let 
them  sit  in  calm  judgment  and  say  if  in  their  inmost 
hearts  they  do  not  believe  and  know  that  Christians 
who  insist  on  pursuing  their  own  ways  of  thinking 
and  living  are  recreant  to  Christ.  We  who  call  our- 
selves Christians  may  rebel  against  the  exactions  of  our 
calling  and  may  say  of  this  or  that  requirement,  "  It 
is  an  hard  saying;  who  can  hear  it?"  but  the  world 
expects  us  to  hew  to  the  line.  O  beloved  in  Christ, 
in  the  name  of  self-respect  let  us  get  back  to  Christ  ! 


THE  BACKSLIDING  OF  JOHN  MARK 

"  And  John  departing  from  them  returned  to  Jerusalem." — Acts  13,  13. 

The  John  here  referred  to  was  John  Mark,  the 
.author  of  the  second  Gospel.  He  was  the  son  of  a 
rich  widow  in  Jerusalem  whose  house  is  closely  asso- 
ciated with  the  early  history  of  the  church.  In  one 
of  its  upper  rooms  our  Lord  instituted  the  sacrament 
of  the  Supper;  and  for  some  years  after  his  death  it 
appears  to  have  been  the  disciples'  customary  place 
of  meeting.  The  widow's  son  must  have  been  deeply 
impressed  by  what  he  saw  and  heard  in  that  sacred 
place. 

On  one  occasion  an  assemblage  was  held  there 
under  peculiar  circumstances  of  sorrow  and  perplex- 
ity: Persecution  had  broken  out;  James  their  beloved 
pastor  had  been  slain  with  the  sword  and  Peter  was 
languishing  in  prison.  The  little  band  of  believers — 
a  feeble  folk  like  the  conies — had  come  together  to 
unite  their  prayers  for  his  deliverance.  The  doors 
were  shut,  for  fear,  and  a  maidservant  named  Rhoda 
was  stationed  at  the  outer  wicket.  While  they  were 
thus  engaged  in  prayer,  there  came  a  sound  of  knock- 
ing; an  instant  silence  fell  upon  them;  was  another 
of  their  number  to  be  haled  away  to  judgment  ?  But 
fear  gave  way  to  amazement  when  the  portress  came 

(149) 


150  THE   BACKSLIDING    OF    JOHN    MARK. 

running  to  say,  "It  is  Peter  that  knocketh!"  He 
was  presently  admitted,  and  told  this  wonderful 
story:  As  he  lay  sleeping  in  his  cell  between  two 
soldiers,  he  was  awakened  by  a  hand  laid  upon  him, 
and  opening  his  eyes  he  found  the  place  filled  with 
a  great  light.  A  voice  said,  "Arise  up  quickly!" 
and  straightway  his  chains  fell  off.  "  Gird  thyself, 
bind  on  thy  sandals  and  follow  me!"  He  obeyed 
like  one  in  a  dream;  the  great  gates  of  the  prison 
opened  before  them  as  if  their  bolts  had  been  drawn 
by  unseen  hands,  and  presently  they  stood  under  the 
open  sky.  Then  the  angel  departed  from  him ;  and 
he  at  once  directed  his  steps  to  this  upper  room, 
where  he  knew  he  should  find  the  disciples  praying 
for  him. 

The  widow's  soe,  John  Mark,  was  among  those 
who  listened  to  that  wonderful  story.  He  drank  it 
in  with  a  boy's  wonder.  Not  long  afterward,  when 
Paul  and  Barnabas,  being  set  apart  for  missionary 
service,  desired  a  helper,  he  volunteered  to  accom- 
pany them.  The  flush  of  enthusiasm  was  upon  him; 
his  was  the  age  that  builds  castles  in  the  air.  He 
dreamed  dreams  and  saw  visions  of  splendid  success. 
And  thus  they  set  forth,  with  the  benediction  of  the 
little  band  of  believers  upon  them,  to  preach  the 
unsearchable  riches  of  the  gospel  of  Christ. 

The  missionaries  turned  their  faces  northward 
and,  after  a  journey  of  three  hundred  miles,  reached 
Antioch,  "the  Gateway  of  the  East."  The  believers 
in  that  city  were  very  numerous  and  influential,  hav- 
ing no  less  than  three  pastors,  Simeon,  Lucius  of 
Cyrene  and  Manaen,  a  foster  brother  of  Herod  the 
Tetrarch.     A  solemn  service  of  ordination  was  held, 


THE    BACKSLIDING    OF    JOHN    MARK.  151 

by  which  Paul  and  Barnabas  were  "separated"  to 
their  work.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  John  Mark  con- 
gratulated himself  as  partaker  in  an  enterprise  which 
began  under  such  happy  auspices. 

At  the  seaport  of  Antioch  the  missionaries,  bidding 
farewell  to  loving  friends,  embarked  for  the  island  of 
Cyprus.  On  landing  at  Salamis  they  began  their 
work,  and  found  ready  audience  in  the  synagogues 
of  the  Jews.  Thence  passing  through  the  island 
westward,  preaching  from  village  to  village,  they 
came  to  Paphos,  where  they  delivered  their  message 
under  the  shadow  of  the  famous  temple  of  Aphrodite. 
All  went  well  until  they  were  opposed  by  Elymas  the 
sorcerer;  and  Paul,  being  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost, 
said  unto  him,  "O  full  of  all  subtilty  and  all  mis- 
chief, thou  child  of  the  devil,  thou  enemy  of  all 
righteousness;  wilt  thou  not  cease  to  pervert  the 
right  ways  of  the  Lord  ?  And  now,  behold,  the  hand 
of  the  Lord  is  upon  thee!  "  And  immediately  there 
fell  upon  him  a  mist  and  darkness;  and  he  went 
about  seeking  some  one  to  lead  him  by  the  hand. 
All  this  was  calculated  to  impress  deeply  the  young 
evangelist.  No  doubt  he  said  within  himself,  "I 
am  glad  that  I  came  upon  this  mission;  it  is  a 
wonderful  work,  and  the  Lord  is  manifestly  with  us !  " 

But  a  change  of  plans  was  made;  it  was  decided 
to  carry  the  gospel  over  into  Asia  Minor.  A  short 
sail  brought  them  to  the  coasts  of  Pamphylia.  It 
was  an  inhospitable  country,  occupied  by  semi-bar- 
barians. The  missionaries  now  proposed  to  push 
into  the  interior  and  preach  the  gospel  to  them  that 
were  afar  off.  John  Mark  looked  on  the  high  moun- 
tains in  whose  fastnesses  were  unknown  possibilities 


152  THE    BACKSLIDING    OF    JOHN    MARK. 

of  danger,  and  felt  his  heart  sinking  within  him. 
A  ship  was  in  the  harbor,  bound  for  home.  He  bade 
farewell  to  Paul  and  Barnabas,  paid  his  passage  and 
returned  to  Jerusalem. 

It  is  a  sad  story,  make  the  best  of  it.  There  is 
nothing  more  pathetic  than  to  see  a  youth  setting 
out  on  a  noble  enterprise,  flushed  with  enthusiasm, 
faithful  for  a  season,  then  turning  back  in  the  face  of 
difficulty  and  giving  himself  up  to  an  easy  life. 

IVas  it  homesickness  that  moved  him  ?  If  so,  it 
was  "a  fault  that  leans  to  virtue's  side."  It  would 
have  been  strange,  indeed,  had  he  not  longed  for  the 
delights  of  his  comfortable  home  in  Jerusalem.  He 
was  the  only  son  of  his  mother  and  she  was  a  widow; 
and  there's  no  place  like  home. 

"A  charm  from  the  skies  seems  to  hallow  us  there, 
Which,  seek  through  the  world,  we'll  not  meet  with  elsewhere." 

In  a  great  city  like  ours,  there  are  multitudes  of 
young  men  and  women  who  have  ever  before  them 
the  vision  of  home.  In  the  watches  of  the  night 
they  see  the  flower  garden  before  the  door,  with  old- 
fashioned  hollyhocks  and  sweet  williams  growing 
in  it,  *'  the  orchard,  the  meadow,  the  deep-tangled 
wildwood,"  and  the  well — ''Ofor  a  drink  of  water 
from  the  well  beside  the  gate  at  Bethlehem!  "  And 
in  their  dreams  a  face  bends  over  them — the  dearest 
face  in  all  the  world.  There  are  no  lines  of  beauty 
like  the  wrinkles  on  mother's  face.  There  are  no 
bands  of  duty  stronger  than  mother's  apron-strings. 
If  she  lives,  dear  friend,  make  the  most  of  her;  if 
she  be  gone,  then,  by  her  memory,  live  nobly  because 
she  loved  you.  The  best  men  are  those  who  are 
moved    by    such    considerations.       In    Shakespeare's 


THE    BACKSLIDING    OF    JOHN    MARK,  153 

Henry  F,  the  Duke  of  Exeter,  describing  the  battle 
to  his  king,  says  that,  wrought  to  frenzy  by  the  fierce 
contagion  of  the  hour,  he,  on  a  sudden,  came  upon 
his  kinsman,  Suffolk,  dying;  whereupon  "all  my 
mother  came  into  mine  eyes  and  gave  me  up  to  tears ; ' 
to  which  the  king  replies,  "I  blame  you  not;  for, 
hearing  this,  I  must  perforce  compound  with  mistful 
eyes,  or  they  will  issue  too." 

But  however  we  may  sympathize  with  the  home- 
sick youth,  we  must  give  no  place  to  any  sentiment 
that  withdraws  the  soul  from  duty.  Duty!  This  is 
the  greatest  word  in  the  vocabulary  of  life.  It  is 
recorded  that  a  man  once  came  to  Jesus,  saying,  "  I 
will  follow  thee,  but  let  me  first  go  bid  them  farewell 
which  are  at  my  home."  And  Jesus  said  unto  him, 
"  No  man  having  put  his  hand  to  the  plow  and  look- 
ing back  is  fit  for  the  kingdom  of  God."  It  was  an 
hard  saying,  but  a  frank  statement  of  the  ethical 
imperative.  The  same  truth  is  stated  with  still 
greater  emphasis  in  the  Master's  words,  "  He  that 
loveth  father  or  mother  more  than  me,  is  not  worthy 
of  me;  and  he  that  loveth  son  or  daughter  more 
than  me,  is  not  worthy  of  me.  And  he  that  taketh 
not  his  cross,  and  followeth  after  me,  is  not  worthy 
of  me."  The  joy  of  living  is  in  a  right  apprehension 
of  the  fact  that  Duty  is  first  of  all. 

'•  Stern  Law-giver  !    Yet  thou  dost  wear 
The  Godhead's  most  benignant  grace; 
Nor  know  I  anything  so  fair 
As  the  smile  upon  thy  face." 

jBuf  perhaps  it  was  not  homesickness  but  fear  that 
moved  John  Mark  to  retire.  The  highlands  of  Pam- 
phylia  were  occupied  by  a  most  inhospitable  people. 


154  THE    BACKSLIDING    OF    JOHN    MARK. 

It  was  to  this  country  that  Paul  referred  in  his  ac- 
count of  "  perils  of  rivers,  perils  of  mountains,  perils 
of  robbers. "  It  was  the  region  of  adventure;  the 
wonderland  of  those  times.  John  Mark  was  an  in- 
experienced youth.  He  had  heard  terrible  tales  of 
banditti  dwelling  in  the  defiles  of  yonder  cliffs.  But 
fear  cannot  excuse  cowardice.  The  heart  must  be 
steeled  to  meet  difficulty  and  to  confront  the  dangers 
of  the  Christian  life.  Wherefore  Peter  says,  "Add 
to  your  faith  virtus j''  that  is,  the  courage  of  a  true 
soldier.     And  Paul,  "  Quit  you  like  men!  " 

The  Pilgrim  going  to  the  Celestial  City  fell  in  with 
certain  wayfarers,  who  admonished  him  that  there 
were  "  lions  in  the  way."  And  presently,  as  he  came 
within  sight  of  his  destination,  he  heard  the  roaring 
of  the  lions  and  caught  sight  of  them.  At  this  point 
Bunyan  inserts  a  significant  parenthesis,  ("The  lions 
were  chained,  but  he  saw  not  the  chain.")  Then 
pursuing  his  journey  with  much  trembling,  he  heard 
the  voice  of  the  porter  at  the  lodge,  calling,  "  Fear 
not!  Is  thy  strength  so  small?  The  lions  are  placed 
there  for  the  trial  of  faith.  Keep  in  the  midst  of  the 
path  and  no  hurt  shall  come  unto  thee!  " 

One  of  the  lions  in  our  way  is  the  fear  of  Renuncia- 
tion. Now  God  forbid  that  I  or  any  other  should  under- 
take to  make  that  easy  which  Christ  made  hard.  The 
life  of  a  Christian  begins  with  giving  up.  But  what 
is  it  that  must  be  given  up?  Sin,  and  sin  only.  And 
a  man,  whether  he  be  a  Christian  or  not,  is  not  half 
a  man  unless  he  desires  to  give  up  sin.  The  pleasure 
that  is  mixed  with  sin,  the  ambition  that  is  tainted  with 
sin,  the  vocation  that  is  pursued  in  sin;  these  must 
be  renounced  once  for  all.      But  think  of  the  great 


THE    BACKSLIDING    OF    JOHN    MARK.  155 

reward :  "  There  is  no  man  that  hath  left  aught  for  the 
kingdom  of  God's  sake,  who  shall  not  receive  mani- 
fold more  in  this  present  time,  and  in  the  world  to 
come  life  everlasting. " 

Another  of  the  lions  in  our  way  is  the  fear  of  Con- 
fession. No  doubt  it  is  possible  for  a  man  to  be  a 
Christian  and  make  no  sign;  yet  the  presumption  is 
infinitely  against  him  who  undertakes  it.  We  cannot 
but  pity  the  woman  who,  having  been  healed  in  the 
crowd  by  touching  the  hem  of  Christ's  garment,  was 
not  allowed  to  escape  without  making  herself  known. 
The  Lord  said,  "Who  touched  me?"  and,  no  one 
answering,  he  insisted,  "Who  touched  me?  For  I 
perceive  that  virtue  hath  gone  out  of  me."  Where- 
upon the  diffident  creature  "came  trembling  and 
confessed  all."  O,  it  was  hard  for  her,  but  it  was 
salutary.  No  man  can  be  a  coward  and  a  true  fol- 
lower of  Christ.  He  himself  has  said:  "Whosoever 
shall  confess  me  before  men,  him  will  I  confess  before 
my  Father  which  is  in  heaven.  But  whosoever  shall 
deny  me  before  men,  him  will  I  also  deny  before  my 
Father  which  is  in  heaven."  Stand  forth,  therefore, 
if  you  are  trying  to  love  and  follow  Christ.  Forth, 
into  the  open  !     Let  your  light  shine  before  men. 

And  many  would-be  Christians  are  deterred  also 
by  the  fear  of  Consecration.  The  demand  here  is  im- 
perative and  unequivocal.  We  are  to  lay  ourselves 
as  a  living  sacrifice  upon  the  altar.  Nothing  can  be 
withheld.  "  Take  my  life  and  let  it  be  consecrated, 
Lord,  to  thee."  What  else,  indeed,  could  be  required 
of  us?  Is  our  best  too  good  for  the  Saviour  who  gave 
himself  for  us?  And  is  not  whole-heartedness  the 
secret  of  success  in  every  enterprise?     Do  we  not  say, 


156  THE    BACKSLIDING    OF    JOHN    MARK. 

"  If  you  would  succeed,  put  yourself  into  your  work"  ? 
The  bravest  of  Athenian  generals  was  Alcibiades, 
whose  continuous  triumphs  were  accounted  for  by  the 
fact  that  he  "gave  himself  to  the  matter  in  hand." 
It  is  related  of  him  that,  when  a  mere  lad,  he  was 
playing  at  dice  in  the  narrow  street  when  a  chariot 
drew  near.  All  the  lads  ran  save  Alcibiades,  who  dis- 
puted the  road  with  the  charioteer,  by  casting  him- 
self prostrate.  "Out  of  the  way!"  cried  the  char- 
ioteer. "  Drive  on!  "  answered  the  lad.  No  coach- 
man drives  over  anybody  under  such  conditions;  he 
alone  is  in  danger  who  stands  midway  on  the  crossing, 
divided  betwixt  two.  But  whether  in  boyish  play, 
in  manly  strife  or  in  Christian  service,  the  truth  holds 
that  abandon  means  success.  If  you  would  make  your 
life  tell  in  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  be  wholly  his.  He 
asks  not  yours,  but  yourself.  And  he  will  have 
nothing  less. 

It  is  the  part  of  a  wise  man  to  know  the  difficulty 
of  the  situation  and  confront  it.  Who  would  live  an 
easy  life  ?  I  like  the  word  of  the  Nonesuch  Professor, 
"Take  heaven  with  the  wind  in  your  face!" 

But  possibly  the  defection  of  John  Mark  was  due  to 
neither  homesickness  ?ior  fear,  but  rather  to  a  lack  of 
sympathy  with  the  expedition.  As  a  Jew  he  may  have 
entertained  the  common  prejudice  against  the  evan- 
gelization of  the  Gentile  world.  Thus  far  on  their 
journey,  Paul  and  Barnabas  had  been  seeking  "the 
lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel,"  but  now  they  faced 
the  regions  beyond.  The  highlands  of  Pamphylia 
were  peopled  by  "dogs  of  Gentiles;"  and  the  young 
evangelist  had  no  thought  of  sharing  with  them  the 
unsearchable  riches  of  the  gospel  of  Christ. 


THE    BACKSLIDING    OF    JOHN    MARK.  157 

And  who  are  we  that  we  should  blame  him  ?  Is 
there  not  a  mighty  prejudice  in  the  church  of  to-day 
against  the  world-wide  view  of  evangelization  ?  Are 
our  church-doors  all  open  to  all  sorts  and  conditions 
of  men  ?  O  for  an  enlargement  of  heart,  that  we 
might  grasp  the  universal  purpose  of  the  Evangel! 

Our  Lord  was  a  City  Missionary  ;  as  such  he 
preached  in  Jerusalem  to  the  multitude  thronging 
the  streets.  And  he  expects  us  to  give  his  Gospel  to 
the  lapsed  masses  and  the  submerged  multitudes. 
On  Monday  last  an  old  man  said  to  me,  *'I  came  to 
church  last  night  for  the  first  time  in  years;  and  I 
heard  you  say  that  Jesus  had  made  this  promise, 
'Ask,  and  it  shall  be  given  you;  seek,  and  ye  shall 
find;  knock,  and  it  shall  be  opened  unto  you.'  I 
have  been  in  this  city  six  weary  weeks  in  search  of 
an  only  daughter.  I  have  haunted  the  theatres,  fre- 
quented the  department  stores,  stood  before  dens  of 
infamy.  I  have  knocked  at  doors,  and  when  they 
were  opened,  she  was  not  there.  I  have  looked  into 
a  thousand  faces,  but  not  into  hers.  Do  you  think 
that  if  He  were  to  help  me,  I  might  ask  and  receive? 
If  He  were  to  go  with  me,  might  I  seek  and  find 
her?  Would  He  direct  me  where  to  knock,  that 
when  the  door  opened  I  should  see  her  face?"  Here 
is  one  of  the  innumerable  tragedies  of  our  city  life. 
The  streets  are  thronged  with  prodigal  sons  and 
daughters;  lost  to  the  sweet  influences  of  home,  to 
truth  and  goodness;  and  we  are  commissioned  to  go 
after  them  and  bring  them  back  to  God. 

But  Jesus  was  a  Home  Missionary,  also.  He  went 
up  into  Samaria  and  preached  his  gospel  on  the  fron- 
tiers.    And,  passing  northward  to  Syro-Phenicia,  he 


158  THE    BACKSLIDING    OF    JOHN    MARK. 

became  a  Foreign  Missionary.  There  are  professing 
Christians  who  say,  "I  do  not  believe  in  Foreign 
Missions."  Let  the  long  journey  of  Christ  from 
heaven  to  earth  put  them  to  an  open  shame. 

"O,  none  of  the  ransomed  ever  knew 
How  deep  were  the  waters  crossed  ; 
Or  how  dark  was  the  night  that  the  Lord  passed  through 
Ere  he  found  the  sheep  that  was  lost." 

It  is  a  pleasure  to  learn,  from  the  sequel,  that 
John  Mark  outgrew  his  mean  and  narrowminded  con- 
ception of  the  gospel.  It  was  twenty  years  afterward 
that  Paul,  writing  from  the  Mamertine  jail,  spoke  of 
him  as  "  My  fellow-laborer  in  the  kingdom  of  Christ  " 
and  as  "profitable  for  the  ministry."  The  record  is 
that  he  himself  became  a  Foreign  Missionary,  going 
with  Peter  to  distant  Rome  and  thence  to  Alexandria, 
where  he  suffered  martyrdom  by  being  dragged 
asunder  with  ropes.  If  he  might  return  and  reason 
with  some  of  us  who  stand  hesitating  on  the  borders 
of  Pamphylia,  he  would  surely  say,  "Fall  into  line, 
O  Christians,  with  the  vast  purpose  of  Christ!  He 
died  for  all:  and  ye  are  fishers  of  men." 

It  is  customary  to  invite  the  impenitent  to  come 
to  Jesus  for  their  deliverance  from  the  just  penalties 
of  sin.  This  indeed  is  a  valid  motive,  but  the  lowest  of 
all.  We  are  called  not  merely  to  a  selfish  salvation ; 
but  to  the  service  of  a  glorious  Christ  who  purposes 
to  save  the  world.  He  invites  us  to  go  with  him  into 
the  yellow  harvest,  sickle  in  hand,  and  reap  for  God. 
This  is  the  Christian  life  at  its  best  and  noblest;  for 
the  greatest  thing  in  the  world  is  to  save  a  man.  We 
are  told  of  an  accident  in  a  Welsh  colliery  by  which 
fifteen  miners  were  imprisoned  and   in  jeopardy  of 


THE    BACKSLIDING    OF    JOHN    MARK.  159 

death.  The  rescue  was  undertaken  by  brave  volun- 
teers. A  w^eek  they  toiled  fruitlessly,  and  then  heard 
a  faint  tapping.  On  the  eighth  day  a  voice  wa? 
heard,  "  Make  haste!  make  haste!"  One  the  ninth 
day  the  rescue  was  effected.  The  bells  of  the  village 
rang  joyously  and  the  people  marched  through  the 
streets  with  the  rescuers  on  their  shoulders,  singing, 
"  Praise  God,  from  whom  all  blessings  flow!  " 

We  are  called  to  rescue-work.  This  is  the  very 
genius  of  Christianity.  Let  us  not  narrow  the  hori- 
zons of  the  gospel.  We  go  forth  in  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ  to  the  conquest  of  the  world.  In  some 
measure  we  are  responsible  for  the  welfare  of  all,  as 
well  of  those  at  the  antipodes  as  of  our  neighbor 
next  door.  The  great  commission  appeals  to  every- 
thing that  is  noblest  within  us.  What  shall  we  do  ? 
Lend  a  hand !  Let  us  set  forth  to  the  Pamphylian 
mountains,  if  not  in  person,  certainly  by  our  prayers 
and  sympathies.  Let  us  render  effective  service  in 
bringing  all  nations  and  kindreds  and  peoples  and 
tribes  to  a  knowledge  of  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus. 
And  so  may  an  abundant  entrance  be  ministered  to 
us  at  heaven's  gate. 

There  are  some  who,  like  poor  Lot  escaping  from 
Sodom,  will  be  saved  "so  as  by  fire."  There  are 
some  who  will  be  carried  up  to  heaven  on  stretchers, 
saved  by  the  faithfulness  of  others.  But  a  glorious 
welcome  awaits  those  who  enter  saying,  *'  Lord,  here 
am  I,  and  they  whom  thou  hast  given  me."  This  is 
the  abundant  entrance.  "They  that  be  wise  shall 
shine  as  the  brightness  of  the  firmament;  and  they 
that  turn  many  to  righteousness,  as  the  stars  forever 
and  ever." 


THE  FAREWELL  PRAYER  OF  JESUS 

"  Father,  I  will  that  they  also,  whom  thou  hast  given  me,  be  with  me  where 
I  am ;  that  they  may  behold  my  glory  which  thou  hast  given  me." — John  17, 24. 

It  was  the  night  before  the  crucifixion.  The 
Paschal  supper  was  ended  and  the  disciples  had  risen 
from  the  table.  As  on  the  night  of  the  original 
Passover  the  Israelites  stood  girt  and  sandaled  for 
their  wilderness  journey,  so  these  men  were  facing 
an  unknown  future.  It  was  then  that  Jesus,  lifting 
up  his  eyes  to  heaven,  offered  the  sacerdotal  prayer. 
Of  all  his  wonderful  prayers  this  the  most  sol- 
emn and  impressive.  It  was  a  prayer  after  sacra- 
ment. It  was  a  benediction  after  the  sermon.  It 
was  the  farewell  intercession  for  those  who  were 
nearest  and  dearest  to  him. 

It  begins  with  an  invocation:  *'  Father,  the  hour 
is  come;  glorify  thy  Son,  that  thy  Son  also  may 
glorify  thee."  In  these  words  a  sidelight  is  thrown 
upon  the  purpose  of  Christ's  life  and  passion ;  to  wit, 
the  glory  of  God.  This  is  the  focus  where  all  life 
and  history  converge.  The  chief  end  of  man,  as  of 
the  Son  of  Man,  of  angels  and  archangels,  of  the 
whole  created  universe,  is  to  glorify  God. 

The  remainder  of  the  prayer  is  intercessory.  "I 
pray  not  for  the  world,  but  for  those  whom  thou 
hast  given  me. "     He  had  prayed  for  the  world  once 

(160) 


THE    FAREWELL    PRAYER   OF    JESUS.  l6l 

and  again,  on  other  occasions,  but  now  his  heart  was 
filled  with  solicitude  for  his  disciples.  They  were 
friends,  comrades;  he  had  led  them  about  in  labor 
of  love  and  patience  of  hope.  They  had  campaigned 
together,  had  shared  their  crust  of  poverty,  their 
meed  of  persecution.  But  they  were  more  than 
friends  and  comrades;  they  were  bound  to  him  by  a 
mystical  tie  of  spiritual  kinship  in  one  household  of 
faith.  They  were  his  younger  brethren,  he  the  first- 
born. How  natural  his  solicitude,  then.  It  is 
recorded  that  when  Joseph  bade  farewell  to  his 
brethren  he  required  of  them  an  oath  that,  when 
they  should  be  delivered  from  captivity,  they  would 
carry  away  his  bones  with  them ;  but  Christ,  as 
becomes  his  gracious  magnanimity,  asks  that  his 
brethren  may  share  his  destiny  in  the  glory  of  the 
heavenly  life. 

The  prayer  consists  of  four  petitions.  The  first  is 
for  the  Preservation  of  those  whom  the  Father  had 
given  him.  "Holy  Father,  keep  them.  While  I 
was  with  them  in  the  world,  I  kept  them  in  thy  name; 
and  now  come  I  to  thee.  I  pray  not  that  thou 
shouldst  take  them  out  of  the  world,  but  that  thou 
shouldst  keep  them  from  the  evil."  He  leaves  them 
behind  as  living  epistles  of  his  gospel.  He  knows 
that  the  great  danger  to  which  they  must  constantly 
be  exposed,  is  conformity  to  the  world  ;  wherefore  he 
asks  that,  being  in  the  world,  they  may  not  be  of  it. 
One  of  the  fathers,  commenting  on  this  passage, 
says,  "A  ship  is  safe  on  the  ocean,  so  long  as  the 
ocean  is  not  in  the  ship." 

His  secojid  plea  is  for  their  Sanctification  :  ' '  Sanc- 
tify  them    through    thy  truth,    thy  word  is   truth," 


1 62  THE    FAREWELL    PRAYER    OF    JESUS. 

Herein  he  reveals  the  secret  of  Christian  growth 
and  of  the  deepening  of  the  spiritual  life.  The 
agent  of  sanctification  is  the  Holy  Spirit;  the  in- 
strument is  the  Word.  It  is  obvious,  therefore,  that 
noamount  of  sentimental  aspiration  can  take  the  place 
of  loyalty  to  the  divine  Oracles.  In  vain- do  we  pray 
for  the  indwelling  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  while 
ignoring  or  neglecting  the  Scriptures,  since  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  accustomed  to  work  unto  edification 
through  the  Word. 

The  third  petition  is  for  the  Unity  of  believers : ' '  Neither 
pray  I  for  these  alone,  but  also  for  them  that  shall 
believe  through  their  word ;  that  they  all  may  be 
one;  as  thou.  Father,  art  in  me,  and  I  in  thee; 
that  they  also  may  be  one  in  us,  that  the  world 
may  believe  that  thou  hast  sent  me."  The  unity 
here  referred  to  is  not  uniformity;  since  the  Church 
is  a  living  organism,  as  set  forth  in  Ezekiel's  vision 
of  the  Spirit  in  the  wheels  (Ez.  i.  15-25).  To  beat 
the  wheels  of  a  chronometer  into  a  bar  of  steel 
would  be  to  secure  uniformity  at  the  expense  of  effi- 
ciency. The  only  "Church  union"  which  is  either 
possible  or  desirable  is  represented  in  the  saying, 
"In  essentials  unity,  in  non-essentials  diversity,  in  all 
things  charity,"  When  this  is  realized  in  the  uni- 
versal Church,  the  world  will  believe  in  the  mission 
of  Christ  as  the  Saviour  of  men. 

And  the  final  plea  of  Jesus  in  this  sacerdotal  prayer  is 
for  the  Glorification  of  his  people  :  "  Father,  I  will  that 
they  whom  thou  hast  given  me  may  be  with  me 
where  I  am,  that  they  may  behold  my  glory  which 
thou  hast  given  me." 

I.    Here    at  the   outset   is   our   best    definition    of 


THE    FAREWELL    PRAYER   OF    JESUS.  163 

Heaven:  **I  pray  that  they  may  be  where  I  a^n.'* 
Heaven  is  not  an  abstraction,  but  a  locality;  never- 
theless we  are  unable  to  locate  it.  It  is  referred  to  in 
the  Scriptures  as  a  home,  as  "a  city,  that  hath  foun- 
dations, whose  builder  and  maker  is  God,"  as  a  land 
that  floweth  with  milk  and  honey;  but  these  are 
figures  of  speech.  We  long  to  know  precisely  where 
heaven  is.  It  would  be  an  unspeakable  satisfaction 
if  we  could  look  toward  one  of  the  stars,  as  Alcyone 
of  the  Pleiades,  and  say,  "  Yonder  is  the  great,  white 
throne;  and  the  saints  triumphant  are  there,  looking 
down  upon  us."  But  we  have  no  such  definite  assur- 
ance. One  thing,  however,  we  can  say  with  certainty: 
Heaven  is  where  Christ  is.  And  this  means  every- 
thing to  those  who  follow  him.  It  means  that  heaven 
is  a  holy  place :  for  as  mists  are  dissipated  and  bats 
and  owls  and  all  uncanny  things  flee  before  the  rising 
sun,  so  does  the  presence  of  Christ  repel  all  sugges- 
tion of  sin.  It  is  also  a  guarantee  of  unalloyed  happi- 
ness. There  shall  be  no  more  pain  nor  sorrow:  weep- 
ing endureth  for  a  night  but  joy  <:ometh  in  the 
morning.  At  his  right  hand  are  pleasures  forever- 
more.  And  still  further  it  assures  our  eternal  security; 
for  as  the  mountains  are  round  about  the  earthly 
Jerusalem,  so  does  his  love,  like  a  mighty  wall, 
encompass  the  heavenly  city.  What  more  shall  we  ask  ? 

I  knoW  not  the  form  of  my  mansion  fair; 
I  know  not  the  name  that  I  then  shall  bear; 
But  I  know  that  my  Saviour  will  welcome  me  there. 
And  that  will  be  heaven  for  me. 

II.  But  Jesus  asks  more:  "I  will  that  they  may 
be  with  me,  where  I  am."  This  is  not  tautological. 
A  man  may  be  in  London,  yet  never  see  the  Queen. 


164  THE    FAREWELL    PRAYER    OF    JESUS. 

He  may  be  entertained  as  a  guest  in  Windsor  Castle, 
yet  never  set  eyes  upon  her.  We  shall  not  only  be 
where  Christ  is,  but  we  shall  behold  him,  him  "whom 
not  having  seen  we  love  and  in  whom,  though  now 
we  see  him  not,  yet  believing,  we  rejoice  with  joy 
unspeakable  and  full  of  glory."  In  our  highest 
moments  of  devotion  we  catch  a  momentary  glimpse 
of  his  majesty :  as  when,  on  the  Mount  of  Transfigura- 
tion, the  disciples  saw  his  face  shining  and  his 
garments  white  and  glistering.  This  is  to  behold 
him  "as  in  a  glass  darkly";  but  there  we  shall  see 
him  face  to  face. 

And  we  shall  be  like  him.  "Now  are  we  the 
sons  of  God,  and  it  doth  not  yet  appear  what  we 
shall  be;  but  we  know  that  when  he  shall  appear,  we 
shall  be  like  him  for  we  shall  see  him  as  he  is.  "  Men 
who  are  long  associated  in  the  common  affairs  of  life 
grow  to  resemble  each  other.  John  Anderson  and 
his  guid  wife,  who  "  climb  the  hill  thegither, "  show 
in  their  faces  the  long  blending  of  hope  and  purpose. 
"What  rare  and  precious  substance  art  thou?"  asked 
a  wise  man  of  a  pebble  which  exhaled  a  strange 
fragrance.  "I  am  only  a  pebble,"  it  answered,  "but 
I  have  lain  at  the  root  of  a  rose-tree."  Thus  by  long 
companionship  with  Jesus,  as  friends  and  followers, 
we  must  of  necessity  catch  somewhat  of  his  beauty 
of  holiness  and  grow  into  some  measure  of  his  like- 
ness from  day  to  day. 

And  the  highest  joy  of  heaven  will  be  in  magnify- 
ing his  goodness.  "  Worthy  art  thou  to  receive  honor 
and  glory  and  power  and  dominion ;  for  thou  hast 
washed  our  robes  and  made  them  white  in  thy  blood." 
We  shall  join  the  goodly  fellowship  of  the  propheths, 


THE    FAREWELL    PRAYER    OF    JESUS.  1 65 

the  glorious  company  of  the  apostles,  the  noble  army 
of  martyrs  and  the  innumerable  company  of  angels 
and  saints  triumphant,  in  praising  him. 

I  would  begin  that  music  here, 

And  so  my  soul  would  rise  ; 
O,  for  some  heavenly  power  to  bear 

My  passion  to  the  skies! 

III.  But  the  prayer  rises  to  a  loftier  height :  "I 
will  that  they  ftiay  behold  my  glory  which  thou  hast  given 
me.''  Observe  the  pathos  of  this  desire.  The  disciples 
of  Jesus  had  been  associated  with  him  during  the 
years  of  his  humiliation:  they  had  seen  him  in  the 
carpenter  shop;  had  known  him  as  a  homeless  way- 
farer; were  now  accompanying  him  to  Gethsemane, 
the  Judgment  Hall  and  the  Cross.  How  natural 
that  he  should  wish  them  to  behold  him  presently 
seated  on  his  throne,  in  light  and  glory  unapproach- 
able, with  adoring  multitudes  bowing  and  veiling 
their  faces  before  him. 

The  reference  is  not  to  any  such  adventitious  glory 
as  earth's  conquerors  boast  of.  This  is,  indeed,  but 
a  transitory  thing;  its  ultimate  purple  is  a  shroud, 
and  its  last  domain  is  a  narrow  grave.  The  prime 
minister  of  Louis  the  Grand  showed  him  a  coin,  hav- 
ing on  one  side  a  tribute  to  his  diplomatic  achieve- 
ments, and  on  the  other  the  royal  portrait.  *'  Canst 
thou  not  drive  a  nail  here,  above  my  crown,  to  fasten  it 
thus  ?  "  asked  Louis;  "  for  the  wheel  of  fortune  hath 
such  a  way  of  turning  that  it  may  presently  leave  me 
upside  down."  All  earthly  greatness  is,  indeed,  a 
trivial  thing.  i 

Nor  does  Christ  refer  to  his  essential  glory ;  "  the 
glory  which  he  had  with  the  Father  before  the  world 


l66  THE    FAREWELL    PRAYER    OF    JESUS. 

was."  It  is  written,  "  No  man  hath  ever  seen  God." 
Can  we  look  with  undazzled  eyes  upon  the  glory  of 
the  midday  sun  ? 

The  reference  is  to  his  mediatorial  glory,  "  the 
glory  which  thou  hast  given  me."  This  is  the  reward 
of  his  great  sacrifice  for  the  deliverance  of  the  world. 
It  was  promised  in  the  Covenant  of  Redemption: 
"When  he  shall  give  his  soul  an  offering  for  sin,  he 
shall  see  his  seed,  he  shall  prolong  his  days  and  the 
pleasure  of  the  Lord  shall  prosper  in  his  hand."  In 
order  to  accomplish  his  great  purpose  he  put  aside 
"the  form  of  God  "  and  was  "  found  in  fashion  as  a 
man;  "  and  in  return,  "  God  hath  highly  exalted  him 
and  given  him  the  name  which  is  above  every  name, 
that  at  the  name  of  Jesus  every  knee  should  bow." 
This  is  the  glory  which  John  saw  in  a  vision:  The 
Son  of  Man  walking  in  the  midst  of  the  golden 
candlesticks,  as  the  head  of  his  visible  Church,  his 
face  as  the  sun  shineth  in  his  strength,  his  voice  as 
the  sound  of  many  waters.  We  shall  behold  him 
thus,  hisce  oculis,  with  these  very  eyes. 

And — greatest  of  all  conceivable  honors — we  shall 
be  partakers  of  this  glory.  The  mother  of  the  Sons 
of  Thunder  asked  for  them  that  one  might  sit  on  the 
right  hand  of  Jesus  and  the  other  on  his  left  in  his 
kingdom;  and  though  that  was  refused  as  being  im- 
possible during  the  earthly  life,  a  great  distinction 
awaits  us;  as  it  is  written,  "To  him  that  overcometh 
will  I  give  to  sit  together  with  me  in  my  throne." 
Here  is  a  great  mystery  and  we  may  not  solve  it. 
But  this  we  know:  "  If  we  suffer,  we  shall  also  reign 
with  him"  (2  Tim.  2,  12);  If  we  suffer  with  him,  we 
shall  also  be  glorified  together  (Ro.  8,  17) ;  If  we  par- 


THE    FAREWELL    PRAYER   OF    JESUS.  1 67 

take  of  his  sufferings,  we  shall  also  be  glad  with  ex- 
ceeding joy  (i  Pet.  4,  13);  "Eye  hath  not  seen,  ear 
hath  not  heard,  neither  have  entered  into  the  heart  of 
man  the  things  which  God  had  prepared  for  them 
that  love  him  "  (i  Cor.  2,  9). 

O,  could  I  see,  as  indeed  they  be, 

The  glcries  of  Heaven  that  compass  me, 

I  should  lightly  hold  the  tissued  fold 

Of  that  marvelous  curtain  of  blue  and  gold  ; 

But  soon  the  whole,  like  a  parchment  scroll, 

Shall  before  my  amazed  sight  uproll, 

And  without  a  screen,  at  one  burst  be  seen, 

The  Presence  wherein  I  had  ever  been. 

IV.  We  come  now  to  a  singular  expression  which 
marks  the  incomparable  power  of  this  intercession: 
^'■Father,  I  will.''''  Here  is  a  broad  departure  from 
the  usual  terminology  of  prayer.  These  are  im- 
perious words:  "I  will."  In  order  to  understand 
them,  we  must  consider  the  complex  nature  of 
Chilst.  As  the  God-man,  he  had  a  dual  self-con- 
sciousness in  which  there  was  a  perfect  co-operation 
of  the  divine  and  the  human  will.  Now  we  observe 
the  repression  of  one  and  again  that  of  the  other;  as 
when,  the  shadow  of  the  cross  falling  coldly  over 
him,  he  cried,  "  Now  is  my  soul  troubled;  and  what 
shall  I  say  ?  Father,  save  me  from  this  hour.  Nay, 
but  for 'this  cause  came  I  unto  this  hour.  Father, 
glorify  thyself!  "  And  again  in  Gethsemane,  when 
once  and  again  he  put  away  the  purple  cup.  pleading, 
"O,  my  Father,  if  it  be  possible,  let  this  cup  pass 
from  me!  "  and  finally,  "  Not  as  I  will,  but  as  thou 
wilt."  So  in  this  sacerdotal  prayer  he  pleads  with 
all   majestic  humility,  as  other  suppliants,  until  he 


l68  THE   FAREWELL   PRAYER   OF   JESUS. 

reaches  the  farewell  word;  then  all  his  power  of  God- 
hood  stands  forth  to  utter  a  manifesto  as  from  his 
throne,  "/z£////that  they  whom  thou  hast  given  me 
may  be  with  me  where  I  am,  that  they  may  behold 
my  glory  which  thou  hast  given  me!  " 

In  this  sublime  passage  we  have  an  intimation  of 
the  all-prevailing  character  of  his  heavenly  interces- 
sion. The  High  Priest  of  the  olden  time  bore  the 
names  of  Israel  upon  his  ephod  when  he  entered  the 
Holy  of  Holies  to  make  intercession  for  them:  but 
our  great  Mediator  has  our  names  written  upon  the 
palms  of  his  hands,  and  he  lifts  them  in  heaven  with 
an  omnipotent  word,  "  Father,  I  will!  " 

The  decree  has  gone  forth.  We  are  given  to 
Christ  as  the  fruit  of  the  travail  of  his  soul.  "  These 
shall  be  to  him  for  a  name,  for  an  everlasting  sign 
that  shall  not  be  cut  off. "  He  has  willed  our  salva- 
tion; therefore  we  may  say,  "  I  know  whom  I  have 
believed,  and  am  persuaded  that  he  is  able  to  keep 
that  which  I  have  committed  unto  him  against  that 
day." 

I  knew  a  man,  once  on  a  time,  who  began  the 
journey  of  the  better  life  by  putting  his  hand  in 
Christ's  and  saying,  "  Lord,  I  would  follow  thee." 
He  prospered  until  nightfall,  when  his  soul  was 
given  over  to  fears  and  misgivings.  But  a  Voice  was 
heard,  saying  in  the  darkness,  "  O  thou  of  little  faith, 
wherefore  didst  thou  doubt?  Be  of  good  courage. 
I  will  that  thou  shouldst  be  with  me!  "  Thus  hope 
returned  and  with  new  purpose  he  trudged  on.  But 
at  the  end  of  the  second  day  he  came  to  Vanity  Fair, 
where  he  turned  aside;  and  there  he  laid  his  head  in 
Delilah's    lap  and  rose  up  shorn  of  his  manly  locks 


THE   FAREWEEL   PRAYER   OF   JESUS.  1 69 

and  weak  as  other  men.  Again  the  Voice  was  heard, 
**  I  have  not  forsaken  thee ;  I  have  not  forgotten  thee ; 
I  will  that  thou  shalt  be  with  me."  And  he  shook 
himself  and,  tightening  his  girdle,  resumed  his  jour- 
ney. And  all  went  well  until  he  came,  next  day,  to 
the  Palace  of  the  Mockers,  where  they  point  their 
fingers  and  cry.  Aha!  And  there  he  hid  himself  for 
shame  of  his  Master,  until  the  Voice  called,  "  Stand 
forth  and  wear  my  name  as  frontlets  between  thine 
eyes!  I  have  died  for  thy  salvation;  and  I  will  that 
thou  shalt  be  with  me!  "  Then  he  bowed  his  head, 
moaning,  "  Sorrie  I  am,  my  Lord !"  and  journeyed  on. 
Thus  every  day  brought  its  trial  and  temptations; 
until  at  last  crossing  the  great  desert  of  Patient  Con- 
tinuance the  heat  and  burden  of  the  day  were  heavy 
upon  him.  There  he  fainted  and  must  have  died  but 
for  the  Voice,  "  Lo,  I  am  with  thee  even  unto  the  end 
of  the  world!  I  will  that  thou  shouldst  behold  my 
glory!  "  Then  he  drank  of  a  brook  by  the  way  and 
staggered  on.  And  thus,  at  length,  faint  yet  pursu- 
ing, hard  bestead  yet  patiently  continuing,  he  came 
to  heaven's  gate,  where  one  met  him,  saying,  "Well 
done!  Take  now  the  inheritance  of  the  saints  in 
light!  The  glory  is  before  thee.  Lift  the  song! 
Enter  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord !  " 

Is  it  the  story  of  your  life?  Aye,  and  of  every 
faithful  follower  of  Christ.  His  promise  is  our  only 
strength  and  our  support.  We  faint  and  stumble, 
and  fall:  but  the  great  Friend  is  beside  us  and  his 
rod  and  staff  comfort  us. 

Here  is  the  assurance  of  our  perseverance  unto  the 
end.  We  live  safely  because  we  live  under  his  pro- 
tection.    We  walk    safely,   because   we  walk  in    his 


170  THE    FAREWELL    PRAYER   OF   JESUS. 

companionship.  We  die  safely,  because  he  comforts 
us  in  the  hour  that  trieth  the  soul  of  a  man.  Death  is 
naught  to  those  who  believe  in  him.  It  is  written 
of  Enoch,  "He  walked  with  God,  and  was  not,  for 
God  took  him."  We  learn  wisdom  sometimes  from 
the  lips  of  the  little  people;  a  boy  told  the  story  of 
Enoch  to  his  playmate  thus:  "  He  used  to  take  long 
walks  with  God ;  and  one  day  he  walked  with  him  a 
long,  long  ways;  and  when  evening  came,  God  said, 
*  Enoch,  we  are  far  from  your  home;  you  had  better 
come  in  now  and  stay  with  me.'  "  Blessed  are  they 
who  thus,  at  nightfall,  enter  the  endless  glory. 

"  '  Forever  with  the  Lord!' 
Amen,  so  let  it  be. 
Life  from  the  dead  is  in  that  word, 
'Tis  immortality." 


PETER'S  SWORD 

"  Then  Jesus  said  unto]  Peter,   Put   up   thy  sword  into  the  sheath."— 
John  i8,  II. 

No  doubt  Peter  was  a  great  blunderer;  neverthe- 
less we  cannot  help  liking  him.  He  should  not  have 
drawn  his  sword  on  this  occasion;  yet  "Bravo!" 
trembles  on  our  lips;  for  was  it  not  love  to  his  Master 
that  kindled  his  passion  and  loyalty  that  nerved  his 
arm  ?  It  is  easy  to  forgive  the  exuberance  of  a  manly 
man.  And  we  love  courage;  the  sword  dazzles  us. 
We  run  to  our  windows  at  the  beating  of  the  drum. 
We  applaud  when  soldiers  go  marching  by.  O,  war 
is  glorious!  But  think  of  "the  thin  red  line":  hear 
the  ping!  ping!  of  flying  bullets,  and  see  the  dead 
looking  up  at  the  cold  skies.  Sherman  was  right 
when  he  said,  "War  is  hell."  And  it  was  a  great 
truth  that  Jesus  uttered,  "  Put  up  thy  sword  into  the 
sheath;  they  that  take  the  sword  shall  perish  by  it." 

But  how  did  Peter  come  to  have  a  sword  ?  He 
was  a  fisherman,  quite  unused  to  edged  tools.  A 
skilful  man-at-arms  would  have  cleft  the  skull  of 
Malchus,  whereas  Peter  could  but  cut  off  his  ear. 
He  would  doubtless  have  done  better  with  an  oar  or 
a  boathook.  Nevertheless  he  did  his  best  and  verily 
thought  he  was  doing  God  service.  A  few  hours 
before,  in  the  upper  room,  the  Master,  warning  his 


172  Peter's  sword. 

disciples  of  approaching  trouble,  had  said,  "  He  that 
hath  no  sword,  let  him  sell  his  garment  and  buy  one." 
We  can  scarcely  blame  Peter,  literalist  as  he  ever 
was,  for  taking  Jesus  at  his  word. 

And,  indeed,  there  is  a  time  for  wielding  the 
sword.  If  Peter,  threading  his  way  along  the  path 
to  Gethsemane,  had  been  assaulted  by  a  highwayman, 
he  would  have  been  guilty  of  constructive  suicide 
had  he  not  drawn  his  weapon  in  self-defense.  When 
Governor  Bradford,  of  Plymouth  Colony,  received 
from  Canonicus,  the  King  of  the  Narragansetts,  a 
bundle  of  arrows  wrapped  in  the  skin  of  a  rattle- 
snake, he  very  properly  answered  by  sending  back 
the  snake's  skin  stuffed  with  powder  and  balls.  The 
first  law  of  nature  is  self-protection,  and  there  is 
nothing  in  grace  to  abrogate  it.  Or  if  Peter,  going 
through  a  narrow  street  in  Capernaum,  had  come 
upon  a  ruffian  beating  a  helpless  child,  what  should 
he  do  ?  Go  to  the  guard-house  and  enter  a  com- 
plaint, that  a  rescue  might  be  effected  by  due  process 
of  law  ?  Nay,  in  such  a  case  nothing  would  answer 
but  a  blow  between  the  eyes.  And  here  is  the 
rationale  of  all  just  war;  the  vindication  of  natural 

rights. 

'  Strike  for  your  altars  and  your  fires  ; 
Strike  for  the  green  graves  of  your  sires  ; 
God  and  your  native  land!" 

The  golden  age  of  Arbitration  is  not  yet.  Among 
the  just  functions  of  government  is  the  righting  of 
wrongs  which  can  only  be  accomplished  by  the 
chastisement  of  evil-doers.  In  the  good  time  coming 
all  swords  shall  be  beaten  into  plowshares  and  all 
spears  into  pruning  hooks;  but  that  will  be  when  the 


Peter's  sword.  173 

government  is  upon  the  shoulder  of  the  Prince  of 
Peace. 

One  thing,  however,  is  very  clear,  in  the  light  of  the 
Master's  word  to  Peter ;  to  wit,  The  Sword  is  Never  to  be 
Used  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel.  The  weapons 
of  our  warfare  are  not  carnal,  but  spiritual.  The 
resort  to  war  is  for  secular  governments  in  the  interest 
of  law  and  order  and  human  rights;  the  Church  can 
use  but  one  weapon  only;  namely,  "the  sword  of  the 
Spirit,  which  is  the  Word  of  God." 

If  the  followers  of  Jesus  had  rightly  apprehended 
this  distinction  they  would  have  been  spared  an 
incalculable  waste  of  energy.  It  is  estimated  by 
Gibbon  that  in  the  Crusades  six  millions  of  the 
bravest  and  best  men  of  Christendom  marched  to  the 
rescue  of  the  Holy  Sepulcherfrom  infidel  hands.  Had 
those  six  millions  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  the  specious 
cry,  '■'' Deus  vult!"  and  heard  instead  the  Master's 
word,  **Go  ye,  evangelize!" — had  they  gone  forth 
with  the  message  of  salvation,  not  to  slay,  but  to 
make  alive,  what  an  impression  it  would  have  made 
upon  the  Pagan  world.  Six  million  missionaries, 
uplifting  the  cross  as  the  remedy  for  sin!  But  they 
preferred  to  take  counsel  of  their  own  passions;  and 
their  blood,  in  consequence,  was  as  water  poured 
upon  the  ground.  There  is  worse  than  nothing  to 
show, for  it. 

But  the  lesson  goes  further.  In  the  injunction, 
**Put  up  thy  sword  into  the  sheath,"  we  have  the 
setting  forth  of  a  great  principle ;  the  Law  of  Spiritual 
Conquest;  that  is,  life  out  of  death,  or  triumph  by 
sacrifice.  It  is  elsewhere  stated  thus:  "Whosoever 
will  save  his  life  shall  lose  it;  but  whosoever  shall 


174  PETERS    SWORD. 

lose  his  life  for  my  sake  and  the  gospel's,  the  same 
shall  save  it  "  (Mark  8,  35). 

I.  This  means  that  Christ  must  die.  He  had  repeat- 
edly told  his  disciples  of  this  fact,  but  they  were 
never  willing  to  have  it  so.  They  answered,  '*  Be  it 
far  from  thee.  Lord!"  And  Peter,  in  drawing  his 
sword,  was  doing  what  he  could  to  prevent  it. 

The  vicarious  death  of  Jesus  was  necessary  in 
order  that  the  world  might  be  delivered  from  sin. 
The  death  penalty  had  passed  upon  the  guilty  race ; 
as  it  is  written,  "The  soul  that  sinneth,  it  shall  die;  " 
and  salvation  could  be  accomplished  only  by  the 
substitutionary  death  of  one  whose  blood  should  be 
of  infinite  value.  The  chastisement  of  our  peace 
must  be  upon  him,  that  by  his  stripes  we  may  be 
healed.  Wherefore  Jesus  said  of  the  cross,  "It  must 
needs  be." 

It  had  been  written  in  Scripture,  "  He  is  brought 
as  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter,  and  as  a  sheep  before  her 
shearers  is  dumb,  so  he  openeth  not  his  mouth," 
The  scarlet  thread  of  redemptive  prophecy  runs  all 
through  Holy  Writ.  Jesus  recognized  this  when  he 
said  to  Peter,  after  enjoining  him  to  put  up  his 
sword:  "Thinkest  thou  that  I  cannot  now  pray  to 
my  Father  and  he  shall  presently  give  me  more  than 
twelve  legions  of  angels  ?  But  how  then  shall  the 
Scripture  be  fulfilled,  that  thus  it  must  be  ?  "  (Matt. 

27,  53)- 

It  had  been  decreed  of  the  Father,  also,  that  his 
only  begotten  and  well  beloved  Son  should  die  for 
the  world's  sin.  To  this  end  he  "gave"  him  and 
"  sent  "  him.  When  Abraham  climbed  the  mountain 
slope  to  offer  up  his  only  son,  "he  took  the  wood  of 


Peter's  sword.  175 

the  burnt-offering  and  laid  it  upon  Isaac,  his  son";  so, 
as  Jesus  staggered  up  to  Golgotha,  bearing  his  cross, 
the  Father  was  with  him,  saying,  *'  Thus  it  must  be." 

It  was,  moreover,  the  fixed  and  eternal  purpose 
of  Christ  himself  to  die.  He  recognized  his  destiny, 
and  faced  it.  His  sacrifice  was  wholly  voluntary,  as 
he  said,  "  Lo,  I  come,  in  the  volume  of  the  book  it  is 
written  of  me,  'I  rejoice  to  do  thy  will.'"  In  the 
castle  of  the  HohenzoUern  there  was  an  instrument  of 
death  known  as  the  Swinging  Crescent.  It  was  a 
gleaming  blade,  suspended  from  the  dungeon  roof 
and  swinging  to  and  fro,  with  each  vibration  nearer, 
nearer.  It  is  said  that  the  victim  always  lost  con- 
sciousness under  this  approaching  horror  of  death. 
But  Christ  did  not  swoon ;  he  knew  the  death  await- 
ing him,  and  "set  his  face  steadfastly  "  toward  it. 
He  was  sustained  by  his  prevision  of  the  great 
reward ;  the  life  of  the  world  as  the  purchase  of  his 
death,  an  innumerable  company  of  sinners  born  of 
the  travail  of  his  soul  into  the  glory  of  an  endless  life. 

II.  Our  text  suggests  that  the  Church,  also,  must  die. 
The  Church  is  the  great  organism  through  which 
God  is  saving  the  world;  but  salvation  is  ever 
wrought  by  sacrifice.  A  nation  may  conquer  by  the 
sword,  but  the  Church  never;  hence  the  futility  of 
the  Inquisition  and  of  all  kindred  modes  of  propa- 
gandise,. It  is  estimated  that  under  Torquemada  no 
less  than  six  thousand  men  and  women  were  burned 
at  the  stake,  not  to  mention  those  who  were  tortured 
by  rack  and  thumbscrew.  All  this  is  in  plain  violation 
of  the  law  which  Hudibras  announced  in  homely  words : 

"A  man  convinced  against  his  will 
Is  of  the  same  opinion  still." 


176  Peter's  sword. 

There  are  three  forces  only  which  the  Church  may 
legitimately  apply  in  the  furtherance  of  the  gospel: 
The  first  is  Attraction,  which  is  set  forth  in  Jesus* 
Parable  of  the  Magnet:  "  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up,  will 
draw  all  men  unto  me."  This  is  that  "foolishness 
of  preaching," — the  exaltation  of  Christ,  living,  dying 
and  alive  forevermore, — which  is  destined  to  win  the 
nations  and  establish  the  kingdom  of  righteousness 
unto  the  ends  of  the  earth.  This  is,  indeed,  "fool- 
ishness to  the  Greek  and  to  the  Jews  a  stumbling- 
block;  but  to  them  that  believe  it  is  the  wisdom  and 
power  of  God." 

The  second  force  is  Pervasion,  which  is  set  forth  in 
the  Parable  of  the  Leaven;  "And  Jesus  said.  The 
kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  leaven  which  a  woman 
took  and  hid  in  three  measures  of  meal  until  the  whole 
was  leavened."  The  influence  which  thus  pervades 
the  world  is  Christian  character.  It  works  secretly, 
silently  by  permeation,  and  there  is  no  resisting  it. 

The  third  force  is  Germination,  which  is  set  forth 
in  the  Parable  of  the  Mustard  Seed;  "  The  kingdom 
of  heaven  is  like  unto  a  grain  of  mustard  seed,  which 
a  man  took,  and  sowed  in  his  field:  which  is  indeed 
the  least  of  all  seeds;  but  when  it  is  grown,  it  is  the 
greatest  among  herbs,  and  becometh  a  tree,  so  that 
the  birds  of  the  air  come  and  lodge  in  the  branches 
thereof."  Such  is  the  power  of  Christian  benevo- 
lence. The  giving  forth  of  energy  in  doing  good  is 
like  the  planting  of  a  grain  of  wheat  which,  "  except 
it  die,  abideth  alone;  but  if  it  die,  it  bringeth  forth 
much  fruit."  Here  is  the  principle,  life  out  of  death, 
conquest  by  sacrifice.  We  overcome  the  world  by 
giving  ourselves  for  it. 


PETERS    SWORD.  177 

If  Peter  had  been  successful  in  wielding  his  sword, 
what  would  the  result  have  been?  Let  us  suppose 
that  he  had  killed  Malchus,  and  then,  turning  on  the 
traitor  Judas,  had  slain  him  also;  that  the  other  dis- 
ciples had  followed  him  and  made  away  with  Pilate 
and  Caiphas  and  Herod  the  Tetrarch;  that  they  had 
rallied  a  multitude  with  the  cry,  "  To  your  tents,  O 
Israel!  "  and  marching  up  to  the  Castle  of  Antonia, 
had  overcome  the  guard  and  secured  possession  of 
the  city;  that  Jesus  had  thus  been  seated  upon  a 
throne  of  temporal  power  and  all  Jewry  prevailed 
upon  to  bow  before  him.  What  then?  The  new 
kingdom  might  have  lasted  a  decade  or  a  century ;  but 
what  of  that?  Christ  did  not  come  into  the  world  to 
set  up  a  throne  that  should  endure  for  a  season  and 
then  follow  in  the  long  procession  of  principalities 
and  powers  to  dusty  oblivion.  He  came  for  salva- 
tion; to  save  the  people  from  a  moral  bondage,  and 
to  establish  an  everlasting  Kingdom, 

III.  But  our  text  comes  nearer  homej  The  Christian^ 
also,  must  die.  We  do  not  sufficiently  emphasize  the 
necessity  of  entering  into  the  fellowship  of  our  Mas- 
ter's death.  In  the  Scriptures  this  fact  is  iterated  and 
reiterated:  "I  protest  that  I  die  daily";  "  For  thy 
sake  we  are  killed  all  the  day  long";  "We  are 
appointed  unto  death  ";  "  We  are  made  a  spectacle 
unto  the  world,  unto  angels  and  unto  men  ";  "We 
bear  about  in  our  bodies  the  dying  of  the  Lord  Jesus  " ; 
"We  are  alway  delivered  unto  death  for  Jesus'  sake." 
What  does  this  mean, — this  dying  in  Christ? 

It  means,  at  the  outset,  that  we  die  to  self-will. 
The  man  who  has  truly  apprehended  Christ  has  no 
purpose  of  his  own.     His  will  is  lost  in  the  higher 


lyS  Peter's  sword. 

Will.  His  struggle  ends  where  his  Master's  did: 
"O  my  Father,  not  my  will  but  thine  be  done!" 
He  believes  what  God  tells  him  to  believe:  he  does 
what  God  tells  him  to  do:  he  sings,  "I  worship 
thee,  sweet  will  of  God." 

We  die  to  the  world,  also.  Its  ambitions  are  no 
longer  ours.  We  live  no  more  for  the  acquisition  of 
wealth,  the  pursuit  of  pleasure,  or  the  attainment  of 
secular  honor  and  emolument;  all  these  are  mere 
incidents  in  a  life  devoted  supremely  to  the  setting 
up  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ.  A  crown  was  offered 
to  him,  and  he  refused  it.  Inspexit  et  despexit ! 
Crowns  and  scepters  are  not  worth  fighting  for.  The 
Lord  has  better  things  for  us. 

And,  above  all,  we  die  to  sin.  Here  comes  the  tug 
of  war.  There  is  a  war  in  our  members;  a  constant 
struggle  between  "the  new  man  "  and  the  lingering 
passions  and  appetites  of  unregenerate  nature.  Put 
up  thy  sword  !  Cease  struggling  for  the  retention  of 
that  which  would  forever  ruin  thee.  The  glory  of 
our  renewed  manhood  is  in  the  prevailing  power  of 
righteousness  as  against  all  sin. 

If  you  or  I  had  been  in  command  of  the  Roman 
Guard  in  Gethsemane,  when  the  sword  of  Peter 
flashed  from  its  scabbard,  we  should  probably  have 
said,  "Seize  yon  armed  man!"  But  it  was  not 
Peter  that  they  wanted ;  they  must  make  an  end  of 
the  quiet  Man,  unarmed  and  unresisting,  who  stood 
behind  him.  He,  by  the  silent  force  of  his  Evangel, 
was  destined  to  conquer  the  world.  And  he  asked  of 
them,  "Whom  seek  ye?"  They  said,  "Jesus  of 
Nazareth."  He  answered,  "I  am  he."  And  then 
*'  they  went  backward  and  fell  to  the  ground."  What 


PETERS    SWORD.  179 

was  it  that  suddenly  smote  them  ?  A  light  shining 
from  his  face  ?  The  majesty  of  his  innocence  ?  A 
momentary  unveiling  of  his  glory  ?  It  matters  not: 
the  world  reels  backward  in  his  presence  still ;  and 
before  the  calm  influence  of  his  character  in  history 
all  cavilers  are  stricken  dumb.  This  is  the  irresisti- 
ble power  of  the  Evangel.  And  this  is  that  light  of 
his  countenance  which  is  to  be  ever  reflected  in  the 
life  of  his  disciples;  as  it  is  written,  "Ye  are  the 
light  of  the  world,  let  your  light  so  shine  before  men 
that  they  may  see  your  good  works  and  glorify  God. " 
I  wonder  what  became  of  Peter's  sword.  Perhaps 
when  the  great  tragedy  was  over  and  he  went  back 
to  his  nets  and  boats  for  a  season,  he  hung  it  on  the 
wall  of  the  humble  home  of  Capernaum  and  left  it 
rusting  there.  A  little  later  came  Pentecost;  and 
Peter  stood  up  in  the  midst  of  an  assembled  multi- 
tude and  preached  the  unsearchable  riches  of  the 
gospel — "breathing  thoughts  in  burning  words." 
He  told  them  how  Christ  had  come  from  heaven  to 
redeem  the  world ;  how  they  with  wicked  hands  had 
crucified  him ;  how  he  had  risen  from  the  grave  tri 
umphant  and  ascended  to  the  right  hand  of  God. 
"And  being  pricked  in  the  heart,  they  cried,  Men 
and  brethren,  what  shall  we  do  ? "  Then  he 
answered,  "  Repent  and  be  baptized  every  one  of 
you  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  for  the  remission  of 
sins."  And  on  that  day  there  were  added  to  them 
about  three  thousand  souls, — prisoners  of  hope,  cap- 
tured by  the  sweet  reasonableness  of  the  gospel. 
Thus  Peter  found  the  better  sword,  and  wielded  it  with 
mighty  power;  the  sword  which  is  to  win  the  world, — 
the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  which  is  the  Word  of  God, 


i8o  Peter's  sword. 

A  word  in  conclusion  to  those  who  have  not  yielded 
to  Christ's  overtures.  God  has  a  sword ;  as  it  is 
written,  "  If  I  whet  my  glittering  sword  and  my  hand 
take  hold  on  judgment,  I  will  take  vengeance  on 
them  that  hate  me";  and  again,  "Who  can  stand 
before  his  indignation  and  who  can  abide  in  the 
fierceness  of  his  anger  ? "  We  are  reluctant  to  set 
forth  the  sterner  side  of  the  divine  character;  but  his 
love  is  most  manifest  when  it  appears  against  the 
ominous  background  of  his  justice.  "Wherefore, 
knowing  the  terror  of  the  Lord,  we  persuade  men. " 
We  preach  the  gospel  of  reconciliation.  "  His  gentle- 
ness hath  made  me  great."  His  sword  is  sheathed; 
his  hands  are  stretched  out  still.  He  draws  us  by 
the  sweet  constraint  of  love.  He  speaks  to  the 
sinner  by  the  voice  of  his  Spirit  in  the  inner  man. 
There  are  hands  beckoning;  there  are  voices  calling: 
"  Come  now,  saith  the  Lord,  let  us  reason  together  "  ; 
— "Come  unto  me  all  ye  that  are  heavy  laden  and  I 
will  give  you  rest." — Come,  come,  come! — What 
more  can  he  do  ?  My  friend,  you  are  yourself,  for 
the  present,  the  court  of  last  appeal.  God  will  not 
force  his  great  salvation  upon  you.  It  is  for  you  to 
determine,  Yea  or  Nay.  If  you  are  ever  saved  it  will 
be  by  your  own  consent.      Here  is  the  decision: 

"  'Tis  done;  the  great  transaction's  done; 
I  am  my  Lord's  and  he  is  mine. 
He  drew  me  and  I  followed  on, 

Charmed  to  confess  the  voice  divine." 

His  sword  is  in  its  scabbard;  he  sets  the  cross 
before  you.  He  can  do  no  more.  "  He  draweth  us 
with  the  cords  of  a  man," 


CHRISTLIKENESS 

•*  And  they  marveled  and  took  knowledge  of  them  that  they  had  been  with 
Jesus." — Acts  4,  13. 

Peter  and  John  went  up  to  the  Temple  to  pray: 
but  the  beggar  at  the  Gate  Beautiful  turned  their 
plans  upside  down,  so  that  the  night  found  them 
languishing  in  jail.  They  should  indeed  have  been 
more  prudent.  The  sermon  in  Solomon's  Porch  was 
a  flagrant  infringement  on  the  prerogative  of  the 
Sanhedrin.  However,  "all  things  work  together 
for  good  to  them  that  love  God."  The  two  prisoners, 
despite  the  darkness  and  dreariness  of  their  circum- 
stances, had,  no  doubt,  a  comfortable  sense  of  their 
Lord's  presence.     I  seem  to  hear  John  saying, 

"  Are  you  awake,  Peter?  " 

•'  Yes;  and  though  these  chains  are  heavy  and  the 
chill  oppressive,  I  know  that  our  dear  Lord  has  not 
forgotten  us." 

"What,  think  you,  will  the  morrow  bring?  " 

'*  I  know  not.  We  may  be  turned  over  to  the 
Roman  magistrates  or  perhaps  dragged  forth,  like 
Stephen,  to  be  stoned  outside  the  walls.'' 

**  Does  your  heart  misgive  you?  " 

"Nay:  I  have  been  thinking  of  the  Babylonish 
youth  in  the  furnace ;  *  Behold,  there  was  one  with 
them  like  unto  the  Son  of  God.'" 

(181) 


1 82  CHRISTLIKENESS. 

"  I  also  am  sustained  by  his  promise,  *  Lo,  I  am 
with  you  alway.'  We  may  sleep  to-night  with  that 
gracious  word  as  a  pillow  for  our  heads," 

And  then,  I  think,  they  sang  perhaps  the  psalm 
that  was  so  helpful  in  the  persecutions  of  the  early 
Church: 

God  is  our  refuge  and  strength, 

A  very  present  help  in  trouble. 

Therefore  will  we  not  fear,  though  the  earth  do  change 

And  though  the  mountains  be  moved  in  the  heart  of  the 
seas; 

Though  the  waters  thereof  roar  and  be  troubled, 

Though  the  mountains  shake  with  the  swelling  thereof. 
"  Be  still  and  know  that  I  am  God! 
"  I  will  be  exalted  among  the  nations, 
"  I  will  be  exalted  in  the  earth." 

The  Lord  of  hosts  is  with  us; 

The  God  of  Jacob  is  our  refuge. 

In  the  morning  the  prisoners  were  summoned  to 
appear  before  the  Sanhedrin  in  the  hall  Gazith,  to 
answer  to  a  criminal  inquiry  as  to  '  'the  good  deed  done 
to  the  impotent  man."  The  question  was,  "  By  what 
power  or  in  what  name  have  ye  done  this?"  As  Peter 
arose,  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  came  upon  him,  and 
he  spake  as  an  ambassador  of  Christ.  We  have  a 
mere  brief  of  this  discourse,  but  enough  to  indicate 
its  character.  It  was  a  bold  arraignment  of  the 
Court  for  the  murder  of  Jesus,  and  a  clear  presenta- 
tion of  the  Gospel  as  set  forth  in  his  name,  the  only 
name  "  under  heaven  given  among  men  whereby  we 
must  be  saved."  Its  effect  upon  the  learned  assem- 
blage is  thus  described :  ' '  They  marveled  and  took  knowl- 
edge of  these  men  that  they  had  been  with  Jesus. " 


CHRISTLIKENESS.  1 8  3 

We  want  to  know  how  that  could  be.  What  was 
there  in  the  bearing  of  these  apostles  which  betrayed 
their  fellowship  with  the  Man  of  Nazareth  ?  Is  there, 
then,  a  mystic  effluence  from  his  person,  so  that  those 
who  associate  with  him  are  pervaded  by  his  spirit 
and  grow  to  resemble  him  ? 

(i)  Was  their  acquaintance  with  Jesus  disclosed 
by  the  Healing  Touch  ?  The  fact  that  he  wrought 
miracles  has  been  challenged  by  modern  skepticism, 
but  it  was  never  called  in  question  in  those  days.  It 
should  be  understood,  however,  that  his  acts  of  heal- 
ing were  but  incidents  along  the  path  of  his  great 
purpose.  When  he  opened  blind  eyes,  it  was  to 
show  that  he  had  power  to  give  spiritual  discern- 
ment. When  he  wiped  away  the  white  schale  of 
leprosy,  it  was  to  reveal  his  power  to  cleanse  from 
sin.  When  he  called  forth  Lazarus  from  his  sepul- 
cher,  it  was  to  show  that  he  could  restore  the  spirit- 
ually dead  to  newness  of  life.  The  relieving  of  a 
few  sick  and  suffering  people  was  of  slight  moment 
as  compared  with  that  ultimate  truth,  "The  Son  of 
Man  hath  power  on  earth  to  forgive  sin." 

The  disciples  of  Jesus,  at  the  first,  were  unable  to 
wield  this  miraculous  power.  They  could  not  calm 
the  tempest,  when  they  were  alone  in  the  boat;  they 
could  not  dispossess  the  demoniac  child  at  the  Mount 
of  Transfiguration.  But  presently  the  Lord  breathed 
upon  them,  saying,  "Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost." 
After  that  they  were  able  to  imitate  his  wonderful 
works.  But  these  were  merely  indicative  of  a  greater 
power  which  they  possessed;  to  wit,  the  power  of 
bringing  souls  under  the  cleansing  and  quickening 
influence  of  divine  grace.     This  is  the  miracle  of  all 


184  CHRISTLIKENESS. 

miracles;  to  lead  men  out  of  darkness  into  light; 
out  of  sin's  poverty  into  the  imperishable  inheritance 
of  the  Gospel  of  Christ. 

And  this  power  is  committed  to  all  believers. 
The  charismata^  or  miraculous  gifts  of  healing,  which 
were  conferred  upon  the  apostles  to  meet  the  neces- 
sities of  the  infant  church,  have  passed  away.  Those 
who  claim  such  power  in  our  times  are  charlatans 
and  mountebanks.  But  all  true  followers  of  Christ 
can  convert  men  by  bringing  them  under  the  influ- 
ence of  his  grace.  The  exercise  of  this  gift  is  contin- 
gent on  our  contact  with  him.  When  Samson,  forget- 
ful of  his  vow  of  loyalty,  laid  his  head  in  the  lap  of 
Delilah,  he  arose  shorn  of  his  manly  strength  and 
was  brought  to  the  Temple  of  Dagon  where  he 
ground  like  a  woman  at  the  mill.  While  we  abide 
with  Jesus,  we  are  strong;  forsaking  him,  we  are 
weak  as  other  men,  "  I  can  do  all  things  through 
Christ  who  strengtheneth  me." 

(2)  Or  perhaps  Peter  and  John  revealed  their 
acquaintance  with  Jesus  by  their  Manner  of  Speech. 
His  preaching  was  singular  in  its  infinite  grasp  of 
spiritual  truth.  He  had  nothing  to  say  of  art  or 
science  or  philosophy  as  such,  but  left  those  for  the 
dilettanti.  He  spoke  of  great  verities,  opened  the 
difficult  doors  of  the  invisible,  solved  the  problems 
of  the  eternal  life. 

One  of  the  characteristics  of  his  teaching  was 
simplicity.  He  avoided  the  terminology  of  the 
schools  and  made  use  of  object-lessons,  which  he 
called  parables.  Another  characteristic  of  his  teach- 
ing was  its  ring  of  certainty.  He  used  no  '*if"  or 
"perhaps,"  but  always,  "Verily,  verily."     An  "if" 


CHRISTLIKENESS.  1 85 

in  a  sermon  is  like  a  crack  in  a  pitcher;  the  pitcher 
may  be  very  beautiful  but  it  will  hold  no  water. 
When  you  hear  a  minister  airing  his  doubts  and 
misgivings  or  indulging  in  vain  speculation,  you 
may  be  quite  certain  that  he  has  not  recently  been 
with  Jesus,  otherwise  he  would  have  learned  the 
wiser  way.  And  still  another  characteristic  of 
Christ's  teaching  was  its  tone  of  authority.  He 
was  the  great  positivist.  How  could  it  be  otherwise, 
since  he  was  himself  the  living  source  and  center  of 
truth  ? 

Thus  the  speech  of  Peter  betrayed  him.  He  and 
his  companion  were  but  ignorant  men,  and  they 
stood  before  a  most  learned  assemblage.  Well  might 
they  have  been  abashed  in  the  presence  of  Annas  and 
Caiphas,  of  Alexander  and  Hillel  and  Shammai;  yet 
they  exhibited  no  false  modesty  or  hesitation ;  they 
had  caught  the  manner  of  their  Lord.  The  voice  of 
Peter  was  but  an  echo  of  the  Voice  that  shaketh  the 
earth;  and  his  discourse  was  buttressed  by  a  "Thus 
saith  the  Lord. " 

And  this  is  preaching.  As  ambassadors  of  Jesus 
Christ  we  present  his  Gospel  in  positive  terms.  Call 
this  dogmatism  if  you  will;  we  cannot  for  a  moment 
allow  that  there  is  uncertainty  as  to  the  fundamental 
facts  of  our  religion.  Oliver  Wendel  Holmes  says, 
"An  opinion  is  provided  with  buffers  at  both  ends, 
to  break  the  shock  of  opposite  opinions  clashing 
against  it;  but  a  truth  has  no  springs  in  it."  We  do 
not  declare  our  own  wisdom  but  that  of  the  only- 
begotten  Son  of  God ;  and  we  declare  it  without  fear 
or  misgiving  on  the  authority  of  his  "  Verily,  verily, 
I  say  unto  you !  " 


l86  CHRISTLIKENESS. 

(3)  Furthermore,  the  courage  of  Peter  and  John 
betrayed  their  fellowship  with  Jesus.  He  was  the 
most  heroic  man  that  ever  lived.  We  have  heroes  in 
plenty,  but  none  like  him.  The  world  is  ringing  at 
this  moment  with  the  words  of  Cronje,  "  We  have 
some  men,  some  arms,  some  ammunition,  and  we 
live;  why  should  we  surrender  ?  "  The  record  of  his 
devoted  band,  in  their  frail  barricade,  surrounded  by 
an  overwhelming  force  and  stifling  in  the  green,  cor- 
rosive fumes  of  lyddite,  will  live  with  the  three  hun- 
dred who  defended  the  pass  at  Thermopylae.  It  is  to  the 
credit  of  human  nature  that  such  magnificent  deeds 
are  not  rare  in  history.  But  the  heroism  of  Jesus 
stands  solitary  and  alone  in  this,  that  it  was  free, 
wholly  and  absolutely,  from  all  consideration  of  self. 
He  set  his  face  steadfastly  toward  the  cross,  not  for 
personal  honor  or  emolument  but  in  behalf  of  men 
who  hated  and  conspired  to  murder  him.  For  this 
cause  had  he  come  into  the  world,  to  save  sinners  by 
his  death;  and  never  for  a  moment  did  he  swerve  an 
hair's  breadth  from  it. 

And  Peter  and  John  had  caught  the  spirit  of  their 
Lord.  They  were  timid  men,  unused  to  the  pomp 
and  circumstance  of  courts.  They  knew  that  they 
were  facing  the  probability  of  death;  yet  they  stood 
by  their  colors,  untrembling  and  unappalled.  The 
heart  of  their  heroism  was  its  magnanimous  intent. 
Self  was  nothing;  the  salvation  of  the  world  was  all. 
Time  was  when  Peter  shook  like  an  aspen  before  the 
finger  of  a  maid-servant;  but  he  had  been  with  Jesus 
longer,  now;  he  had  seen  him  with  the  glory  of  the 
resurrection  on  his  face  and  had  learned  his  power 
over  death  and  hell.     What  were  petty  magistrates 


CHRISTLIKENESS.  1 87 

and  provincial  dignitaries  to  men  who  had  entered 
into  the  confidence  of  the  King  of  kings  ? 

But  how  were  they  sustained?  From  what  secret 
fountain  did  they  drink  up  courage  ?  They  had  been 
with  Jesus;  they  were  with  him  now.  His  word  was 
in  their  ears;  "Ye  shall  be  summoned  before  courts 
and  magistrates;  but  fear  not!  I  will  be  with  you." 
And  this  is  the  strength  of  all  true  followers  of 
Jesus.  In  the  face  of  trial,  of  temptation,  of  death 
itself,  we  stand  unmoved,  if  we  remember  him. 

In  our  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art  there  is  a 
picture  called  "The  Last  Token,"  representing  a 
young  girl  in  the  Arena,  awaiting  her  death.  The 
galleries  are  filled  with  spectators;  the  lions  are 
creeping  from  their  dens  with  flaming  eyes.  The 
girl  stands,  with  eyes  uplifted  toward  the  galleries, 
searching  for  the  friendly  hand  which  has  just  let  fall 
a  rose  that  lies  at  her  feet.  So  does  the  promise  of 
the  abiding  Presence  come  to  the  followers  of  Jesus 
in  hours  of  bitter  trial  and  apprehension.  The  fra- 
grance of  the  King's  garden  is  in  this  word,  "  Lo,  I 
am  with  you  alway."  We  can  be  brave  if  he  stands 
beside  us,  saying,  "  I  will  not  leave  thee  nor  forsake 
thee!  In  six  troubles  I  will  deliver  thee;  and  in 
seven  there  shall  no  evil  touch  thee." 

(4)  Again,  the  members  of  the  Sanhedrin  knew 
that  these  men  had  been  with  Jesus  by  their  Upright 
Bearing.  They  took  knowledge  of  their  character, 
that  it  resembled  his.  He  was  the  best  Man  that 
ever  lived.  There  are  many  "  good  men  " ;  but  none 
who  can  claim  to  be  without  sin.  Christ  alone 
could  utter  the  challenge,  "  Who  layeth  anything  to 
my   charge  ? "    and   evoke   from    his    contemporary 


1 88  CHRISTLIKENESS. 

judges  and  from  all  subsequent  generations  the 
reply,  "  We  find  no  fault  in  thee  at  all!  " 

Peter  and  John  were  rough  men.  One  of  them 
had  an  irascible  temper  and  had  been  addicted  to  pro- 
fanity. But  in  their  association  with  Jesus  they  had 
passed  through  a  marvelous  change;  so  that  now, 
under  the  most  trying  circumstances,  they  preserved 
a  meek  yet  manly  front,  reminding  their  persecutors 
of  the  Master  whom  they  professed  to  follow  and 
serve. 

It  is  a  singular  fact  that  of  all  the  sacred  writers 
Peter,  "the  blunderer,"  is  the  most  insistent  on  the 
importance  of  growth  in  character.  It  is  he  who 
says,  "Add  to  your  faith  virtue;  and  to  virtue 
knowledge;  and  to  knowledge  temperance;  and  to 
temperance  patience;  and  to  patience  godliness;  and 
to  godliness  brotherly  kindness;  and  to  brotherly 
kindness  charity.  For  if  these  things  be  in  you,  and 
abound,  they  make  you  that  ye  shall  neither  be  bar- 
ren nor  unfruitful  in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ."  And  this  is  the  test  of  loyalty  to 
Christ,  not  a  protestation  of  goodness,  but  a  desire 
to  attain  unto  it.  No  man  can  associate  with  Jesus 
and  give  himself  over  to  habitual  sin;  since  his  pres- 
ence, as  one  of  the  fathers  says,  "  maketh  us  coy 
and  tender."  A  true  Christian  does  not  merely  avoid 
this  or  that  particular  sin,  but,  in  copying  Christ, 
develops  a  moral  sensitiveness  which  makes  him 
averse  to  sin  itself.  He  learns  to  hate  and  abhor 
the  appearance  of  evil.  Thus  the  close  companion- 
ship of  Jesus  brings  us  nearer  and  nearer  to  the 
stature  of  manhood.  The  minister  of  St.  Furgus 
Church  was  once  privileged  to  entertain  the  saintly 


CHRISTLIKENESS.  .  1 89 

McCheyne  for  an  hour  in  his  study;  and  when  the 
interview  was  over  he  wrote  thus  in  his  diary:  **  As 
I  sit  here  my  study  seems  a  heavenly  place,  because 
Robert  McCheyne  has  been  in  it;  and  everything  is 
inscribed  with  the  legend,  'Holiness  unto  the  Lord.' " 

(5)  One  thing  more  betrayed  the  association  of 
these  men  with  Jesus,  namely,  their  Manifest  Purpose. 
Christ  lived,  labored  and  died  to  set  up  a  kingdom 
of  souls;  in  other  words,  to  save  men.  All  lesser 
considerations  were  as  nothing  to  him.  He  came  not 
to  be  ministered  unto  but  to  minister.  The  one 
thought  that  dominated  his  being  was  the  deliverance 
of  the  world  from  sin. 

Not  long  before  this,  Peter  and  John  were  pursu- 
ing their  trade  as  fishermen  on  the  shore  of  Genes- 
sareth.  Their  chief  concern  was  with  the  making  of 
a  livelihood.  At  evening  they  counted  their  catch 
and  reckoned  what  it  would .  bring  them  in  the 
market.  But  one  day  Jesus  passed  by  and  said, 
"  Arise  and  follow  me;  and  I  will  make  you  fishers  of 
men."  Thenceforward  a  new  purpose  took  posses- 
sion of  them.  As  they  followed  Jesus,  they  grew 
into  his  likeness  and  their  uppermost  thought  was  to 
do  good  as  they  had  opportunity  unto  all  men. 

We,  also,  are  called  unto  this  "  ministry."  This 
is  the  meaning  of  the  Master's  word,  "Take  up  thy 
cross  and  follow  me."  It  matters  little  what  befalls 
us,  or  what  dangers  confront  us;  life  is  of  no  value 
except  for  its  opportunities  of  doing  good;  and  death 
IS  nothing  but  promotion  to  higher  tasks.  If  we  live 
with  Jesus,  we  live  for  others.  If  we  abide  in  his  fel- 
lowship, it  is  inevitable  that  the  world  should  take 
knowledge  of  us,  by  reason  of  our  self-denial  in 


190  CHRISTLIKENESS. 

behalf  of  others,  that    we    have   been  with  him   and 
have  learned  of  him. 

A  high  standard  of  life  and  character  is  thus  pre- 
sented to  such  as  follow  Christ;  and  a  high  motive 
is  here  suggested  to  those  who  have  not  cast  in  their 
lot  with  him.  He  saves  from  death;  but,  more  than 
that,  he  calls  to  highest  manhood.  He  invites  to  the 
noblest  service.  He  addresses  himself  to  all  that  is 
best  and  divinest  in  our  nature,  saying,  "  Come  thou 
with  me,  and  realize  the  sublimest  possibilities  of  thy 
being,  in  making  thyself  useful  to  thy  fellow  men." 
In  one  of  Goethe's  wonder-tales  he  tells  of  a  magical 
lamp  in  a  fisherman's  hut,  which,  lighted  at  eventide, 
transformed  the  rude  place  into  a  palace,  with  walls 
of  silver  bedecked  with  precious  stones.  So  is  the 
mind  of  Christ  in  the  soul  of  a  man;  it  transforms 
him  ultimately  into  a  temple  fit  for  the  indwelling  of 
God.  A  Christian  is  defined  as  "  The  highest  style 
of  man;  "  and  the  distinction  is  none  the  less  true  on 
account  of  our  shortcomings.  We  want  an  ideal; 
the  perfect  ideal  is  Christlikeness.  When  Adoniram 
Judson  was  living  among  the  Karens,  they  were  pro- 
foundly impressed  by  his  daily  illustration  of  the 
Christian  graces,  insomuch  that  they  called  him 
** Jesus  Christ's  Man."  Higher  than  this  we  may 
not  aspire;  better  than  this  we  cannot  be.  And  if 
we  patiently  continue  in  well-doing  we  shall  some- 
time realize  this  blessed  hope;  as  it  is  written,  "  We 
all,  with  open  face  beholding  as  in  a  glass  the  glory 
of  the  Lord,  are  changed  into  the  same  image  from 
glory  to  glory,  even  as  by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord." 


THE  BRIGHT  SIDE  OF  FAILURE 

"  I  will  give  the  valley  of  Achor  for  a  door  of  hope."— Hosea  2,  15. 

The  Children  of  Israel,  after  crossing  the  Jordan, 
found  themselves  confronting  a  defile  with  Jericho  at 
one  end  and  Ai  at  the  other;  it  was  well  named  The 
Valley  of  Achor,  meaning,  "  Trouble."  The  capture 
of  Jericho  was  accomplished  by  the  advancing  host 
with  little  or  no  difficulty;  after  which  they  were  in 
high  feather,  being  quite  confident  that  nothing 
could  arrest  their  progress.  Spies  were  sent  through 
the  valley  to  inspect  the  defences  of  Ai,  who  reported 
that  the  town  was  insignificant  and  might  easily  be 
taken  without  ordering  out  the  whole  army.  A 
detachment  was  sent,  accordingly,  and  the  people 
watched  the  vainglorious  troop  as  it  passed  up 
through  the  Valley  of  Achor,  banners  flying  and 
rams'  horns  blowing.  In  a  little  while  these  men 
came  running  back,  flinging  away  their  shields  and 
weapons  by  the  roadside,  having  been  put  to  an  igno- 
minious rout.  And  "  the  heart  of  the  people  melted 
and  became  as  water  " ;  they  rent  their  clothes  and 
cast  dust  upon  their  heads,  crying,  **  Ah,  Lord  God, 
wherefore  hast  thou  brought  us  over  Jordan  to  destroy 
us?" 

They  were  advised  that  the  occasion  of  this  defeat 
was   the   sin   of  Achan,  who  had  hidden  a  golden 


192  THE    BRIGHT    SIDE    OF    FAILURE. 

wedge  in  his  tent.  This  evil  thing  being  put  away 
from  among  them,  the  Lord  said,  "  Fear  not;  neither 
be  dismayed;  ye  shall  do  unto  Ai  as  ye  did  unto 
Jericho  and  her  king.".  Up  through  the  Valley  of 
Achor  went  the  army  again,  some  of  them,  no  doubt, 
recalling  the  scenes  of  their  former  discomfiture,  and 
looking  askance  at  a  heap  of  stones  which  marked 
a  recent  grave  and  whispering,  "Achan!"  The 
expedition  was  now  a  magnificent  success,  so  that  Ai 
became  "an  heap  and  a  desolation  unto  this  day." 
An  altar  was  reared  to  signalize  God's  power  to  turn 
defeat  into  victory,  on  which  was  inscribed  the  Law 
beginning,  "  Hear,  O  Israel,  the  Lord  our  God  is  one 
Lord;  and  thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all 
thy  heart  and  soul  and  mind  and  strength. " 

Our  text  was  written  seven  hundred  years  after 
that  conquest  of  Canaan.  The  nation  was  now  at 
the  height  of  its  prosperity  and  ripening  for  ruin. 
The  golden  calves  at  Dan  and  Bethel  were  surrounded 
by  multitudes  of  worshipers  kissing  their  hands  and 
crying,  "  These  be  thy  gods,  O  Israel!  "  Then  began 
the  divine  judgments:  the  arm  of  the  Lord  was  made 
bare,  and  he  smote  once,  twice,  thrice ;  until  a  cry  of 
despair  arose  on  every  hand.  A  drought:  the  land 
was  parched  as  an  oven;  lowing  herds  and  bleating 
flocks  sought  water  in  vain.  A  pestilence:  the  air 
was  reeking  with  infection;  the  dead  lay  unburied 
by  the  wayside.  A  hostile  incursion :  firebrands  and 
dripping  swords;  bands  of  captives  led  away  to  bond- 
age worse  than  death.  The  people  watched  them 
passing  through  the  Vale  of  Trouble,  and  wept  out 
their  sorrow  before  God.  Then  Hosea  lifted  his  voice 
and  bade  them  be  of  good  courage  and  hope  in  thQ 


THE    BRIGHT    SIDE   OF    FAILURE.  193 

Lord;  "  for  your  exiles  shall  return  again,  the  Lord 
shall  give  them  the  Valley  of  Achor  for  a  door  of 
hope." 

Here  is  a  truth  for  practical  uses.  Where  is  the 
man  who  has  not  been  thwarted,  defeated,  discour- 
aged? Our  wrinkles  and  crows'-feet  betray  us.  We 
have  all  marched  up  into  the  Valley  of  Achor,  flushed 
with  self-confidence,  to  be  beaten  back  in  confusion. 
But  by  God's  grace  our  defeats  may  be  changed  into 
triumphs.  "Men  rise  on  stepping  stones  of  their 
dead  selves  to  higher  things," 

L  Here  is  a  man  who  has  failed  in  business.  His  is 
not  a  singular  or  infrequent  case.  It  is  said  that 
ninety-five  per  cent,  of  all  men  going  into  commer- 
cial life  for  themselves  are  sooner  or  later  forced  into 
insolvency.  The  question  is  raised,  however,  whether 
or  not  this  is  properly  called  "  failure."  A  friend  o^ 
mine  recently,  as  they  say,  "lost  everything." 
Everything  ?  He  still  has  a  happy  home,  a  circle  of 
loving  children,  a  good  conscience,  a  spotless  char- 
acter, self-respect,  religion,  the  hope  of  an  eternity 
with  God.  What  then  has  he  lost  ?  A  little  yellow 
dust,  the  accumulation  of  a  lifetime  of  labor,  which 
sooner  or  later  must  slip  through  his  fingers  and  be 
gone.  A  loss  like  this  is,  in  any  event,  a  mere  ques- 
tion of  time.  "If  thou'rt  rich,  thou'rt  poor;  for  like 
an  ass-  whose  back  with  ingots  bows,  thou  bear'st 
thy  heavy  burden  for  a  season  and  death  unloads 
thee."  So  then  the  man  who  loses  money  is,  after 
all,  only  beaten  back  on  the  picket-line,  the  true 
conflict  of  life  being  on  a  much  larger  and  more 
momentous  scale.  It  is  as  if  a  chess  player  lost  a 
pawn   with   the   game    still    before  him.     Failure  ? 


194  THE    BRIGHT    SIDE    OF    FAILURE. 

Bankruptcy?  "  Lost  everything?  "  Ono;  if  my  friend 
had  lost  home,  character,  self-respect  or  faith  in  God 
and  kept  his  yellow  dust,  that  would  have  been 
failure,  indeed ;  an  awful  bankruptcy,  an  irreparable 
loss. 

If  it  be  true  that  ''  misery  loves  company  "  then 
such  as  have  failed  in  secular  business  may  be  com- 
forted in  the  fellowship  of  the  ninety-five  percent, 
of  all  voyagers  on  industrial  seas  who  are  beaten 
back  by  Euroclydon.  The  fact  stated  is  not  without 
its  compensations.  It  is  the  working  out  of  an 
economic  law  rudely  formulated  in  the  proverb, 
**  There  are  three  generations  from  shirt-sleeves  to 
shirt-sleeves  " ;  a  law  quite  necessary  to  the  world's 
social  equilibrium.  It  is  frequently  said  that  "  the 
rich  are  getting  richer  and  the  poor  are  getting 
poorer";  and  lamentations  are  heard  on  every  side 
because  the  world's  wealth  seems  to  be  accumulating 
in  the  hands  of  a  few.  This  would  be  alarming  but 
for  the  working  of  the  law  referred  to.  Of  a  hundred 
men  who  set  out  with  the  determination  to  accumu- 
late wealth,  ninety-five  are  obliged  sooner  or  later  to 
loose  their  hold  and  give  others  a  chance.  It  is  an 
easy  matter  to  get  rich;  the  difficulty  is  to  hold  the 
nimble  penny.  It  takes  wings  and  flies  away.  Thus 
the  distribution  of  wealth  is  provided  for  in  the  long 
run.  Were  it  otherwise  there  would  be  incalculable 
danger  in  the  heaping  up  of  fortunes;  if  money- 
makers could  keep  their  earnings,  we  should  all 
presently  be  millionaires.  But  the  way  to  wealth  is 
a  narrow  strait  through  many  shoals.  As  two  high- 
waymen were  walking  over  a  desolate  heath  in  the 
night,  they  heard    the   creaking   of   chains  and  saw 


THE    BRIGHT    SIDE    OF    FAILURE.  195 

dimly  in  the  distance  the  body  of  a  fellow-craftsman 
swinging  from  a  gallows-tree.  One  of  them,  fear- 
struck,  said,  "  If  it  were  not  for  the  gibbet,  what  a 
fine  profession  ours  would  be  !  "  The  other  answered 
philosophically,  "  No,  blockhead;  were  it  not  for  the 
gibbet,  every  man  would  wish  to  be  a  highwayman 
and  where  would  our  profession  be  then  ? " 

We  observe  here,  also,  the  working  of  another 
law,  familiarly  known  as  the  Survival  of  the  Fittest. 
For  what  becomes  of  the  ninety-five  per  cent,  of 
business  men  who  fall  along  the  way  ?  Many  of 
them  lose  heart  and  are  never  heard  of  again.  Others, 
whose  moral  build  is  more  elastic,  spring  to  their 
feet,  face  fortune,  and  press  through  difficulty  to 
success :  these  are  '  *  the  fittest  " ;  they  survive  because 
they  deserve  to.  Courage  ever  wins.  Such  a  man 
was  Cyrus  W.  Field,  who,  having  convinced  himself 
of  the  practicability  of  a  submarine  cable,  determined 
to  invest  his  fortune  and  energy  for  its  realization. 
His  first  defeat  was  in  the  lobby  of  our  National 
Congress;  but  he  persisted  until  he  secured  the 
necessary  franchise  in  the  Senate  by  a  majority  of 
one.  His  original  attempt  to  lay  the  cable  was 
terminated  by  the  parting  of  the  wire  five  miles  out 
at  sea.  The  second  was  more  successful,  but  the 
cable  again  parted,  in  mid-ocean.  Thrice  over  the 
attempt  was  made,  ending  in  failure.  At  length  in 
1858  the  wire  was  wholly  laid;  but,  after  a  few  weeks 
of  successful  operation,  it  ceased  to  work.  Fifty 
voyages  to  and  fro  across  the  Atlantic  were  made  in 
order  to  secure  sufficient  capital  for  the  further  prose- 
cution of  the  forlorn  hope.  The  Great  Eastern  was 
chartered;  when  she  was  twelve  hundred  miles  from 


196  THE  BRIGHT  SIDE  OF  FAILURE. 

land  the  cable  parted  and  was  lost.  Six  millions  of 
dollars  had  now  been  sunk  in  the  enterprise.  The 
cable  was  finally  laid  after  twelve  years  of  unremitting 
effort;  and  on  July  27th,  1866,  the  following  message 
was  sent  to  New  York  from  Newfoundland:  "We 
arrived  at  Heart's  Content  at  nine  o'clock  this  morn- 
ing. We  are  all  well.  Thank  God  the  cable  is  laid 
and  is  in  perfect  working  order.  Cyrus  W.  Field." 
Heart's  Content!  The  "desired  haven  "  at  last.  An 
appropriate  landing  place  for  a  man  who  had  sailed 
courageously  through  seas  of  trouble.  It  is  men  like 
this  who  deserve  to  succeed.  The  world  does  not 
begrudge  them  their  meed  of  victory. 

"  I  like  the  man  who  faces  what  he  must 
With  step  triumphant  and  a  heart  of  cheer  ; 
Who  fights  the  daily  battle  without  fear  ; 
Who  sees  hopes  fail,  yet  keeps  unfaltering  trust 
That  God  is  God  ;  that  somehow,  true  and  just, 
His  plans  work  out  for  mortals  ;  not  a  tear 
Is  shed  when  fortune,  which  the  world  holds  dear, 
Falls  from  his  grasp  ;  better,  with  love,  a  crust 
Than  living  in  dishonor  ;  envies  not. 
Nor  loses  faith  in  man  ;  but  does  his  best, 
Nor  ever  murmurs  at  his  humbler  lot  ; 
But  with  a  smile  and  words  of  hope,  gives  zest 
To  every  toiler  ;  he  alone  is  great. 
Who  by  a  life  heroic  conquers  fate." 

II.  But  here  is  a  man  -who  has  failed  in  the  building  of 
character.  This  is  a  thousand  times  worse  than  any 
financial  bankruptcy.  All  earnest  people  want  to 
make  the  most  of  themselves;  but  this  is  not  an  easy 
matter.  The  easy  thing  is  to  drift  with  the  current; 
the  making  of  manhood  is  a  beating  up  against  wind 
and  tide.     But,  when  it  is  done,  how  splendidly  the 


THE  BRIGHT   SIDE  OF   FAILURE.  197 

end  crowns  the  work.  An  easy  liver  is  like  a  mush- 
room which,  growing  up  in  a  night,  is  but  a  pulpy 
thing.  But  the  oak — ah,  there  are  men  who  grow  like 
the  oak.  The  winds  cry,  "  We  will  wrestle  with 
you  and  break  you";  and  the  oak  stretches  out  its 
hands,  answering,  "Let  us  wrestle,  then!"  The 
rocks  beneath  mutter,  ''We'll  thwart  you  ";  the  oak 
thrusts  down  its  roots,  grapples  with  the  rocks  and 
conquers  them ;  and  at  last  reaching  its  gnarled  arms 
aloft  it  gives  its  challenge  to  the  storms  of  heaven. 
Thus  we  wrestle,  and  wrestling  grow  into  the  posses- 
sion of  those  graces  which,  bound  in  a  bundle,  are 
called  Character.  We  often  fail?  Aye,  again  and 
again.  Blunder?  Yes,  all  along  the  way.  But  the 
test  of  manhood  is  to  push  ahead  and  march  through 
the  Valley  of  Achor,  past  the  shields  and  weapons 
that  were  thrown  away  in  former  defeats,  to  glorious 
achievement. 

The  beginning  of  this  moral  conquest  is  in  ridding 
ourselves  of  sin.  Have  you  tried  that?  Have  you 
tried  to  break  the  chains  of  habit?  Have  you  tried 
to  eradicate  from  the  nerve  and  fiber  of  your  soul*  the 
foul  principle  of  sin?  Then,  one  thing  I  know;  you 
have  failed.  But  try  again.  Keep  the  Law  if  pos- 
sible. And  still  the  end  may  be  seen  from  the  begin- 
ning. Defeat;  always  defeat.  It  is  the  old  story  of 
Ixion  over  and  over  again.  Why  then  should  a  man 
try?  To  learn  the  lesson  of  defeat.  To  find  out  his 
infirmity.  Not  until  he  has  discovered  that  will  he 
lift  up  his  eyes  unto  the  hills.  Thus  it  is  written: 
"The  Law  is  a  schoolmaster  to  lead  us  to  Christ." 
And  again,  "What  the  Law  could  not  do  in  that  it 
was  weak  through  the  flesh,  God,   sending  his  own 


198  THE   BRIGHT    SIDE   OF   FAILURE. 

Son  in  the  likeness  of  sinful  flesh,  hath  condemned 
Sin  in  the  flesh,  that  the  righteousness  of  the  Law 
might  be  fulfilled  in  us."  Here  is  the  secret  of  success 
in  striving  with  the  evil  one;  driven  back  upon  our- 
selves, rending  our  clothes  and  casting  ashes  upon 
our  heads,  we  hear  God  saying,  "Trust  in  me." 
Here  is  the  key  of  life:  "Look  to  Jesus;  his  blood 
cleanseth!  "  Thus  in  our  weakness  the  power  of  God 
rests  upon  us.  Up  through  the  Valley  of  Failure  we 
fight  our  way  to  Golgotha  and  throw  ourselves 
before  him;  and  our  victory  is  heralded  in  his  words: 
"  Thy  sins  be  forgiven  thee." 

Thereafter  all  our  striving  is  for  growth  in  char- 
acter; to  add  one  grace  unto  another  until  we  reach 
the  full  statue  of  a  man.  Of  rebuffs  and  discourage- 
ments there  are  many.  No  soul  springs  full  armed 
into  life  like  the  fabled  Minerva  from  the  forehead  of 
Jove.  Men  must  wrest  from  the  enemy  the  weapons 
with  which  they  may  win  the  graces  of  true  manhood. 
And  the  key  to  the  situation  is  the  courage  of  a  true 
faith  in  God. 

In  the  circle  of  the  Twelve  there  were  three  his- 
toric sinners:  One  was  Thomas,  the  Apostle  of  Doubt; 
who  was  beaten  about  by  his  besetting  foe,  yet  was 
helped  again  and  again  to  triumph  over  unbelief, 
until  at  last  he  won  the  crown  of  martyrdom  in  far 
away  India.  The  second  was  Peter,  the  Apostle  of 
Self-confidence.  Boastful,  impulsive,  self-reliant; 
he  fought  against  his  besetting  sin,  worsted  again 
and  again,  yet  ever  looking  unto  Jesus,  until  he  too 
won  the  blood-stained  crown  under  the  walls  of 
Rome.  And  the  third  was  Judas  Iscariot,  the  Apos- 
tle of  Avarice.     Although   his   sin  was  greater  than 


THE  BRIGHT    SIDE   OF   FAILURE.  1 99 

that  of  his  associates,  it  might  have  been  forgiven ; 
but,  alas!  the  heart  went  out  of  him.  After  his 
betrayal  of  Jesus,  awful  horror  seized  upon  him,  he 
plunged  into  the  night  and,  in  unconquerable  passion 
of  remorse,  hung  himself  above  the  abyss  of  Hinnom. 
He  lost  hope,  lost  courage,  lost  his  grip  on  God!  It 
is  an  awful  thing  for  a  man  to  forget  the  divine 
omnipotence  and  infinite  love.  It  is  death  for  a  man 
to  give  up. 

Is  there  a  backslider  here;  one  who  long  ago 
entered  into  covenant  with  God  and  has  broken  faith 
with  him?  Here  is  your  promise,  my  friend:  "  If  any 
man  sin,  we  have  an  advocate  with  the  Father,  Jesus 
Christ  the  righteous."  Struggle  to  your  feet!  Press 
on !  God  waits  to  be  gracious.  He  is  never  wearied 
by  our  weakness,  only  by  our  withdrawal  of  faith. 
The  difference  between  an  unregenerate  sinner  and  a 
Christian  is  this:  when  a  godless  man  falls,  he  is 
down  to  stay,  but  "  a  just  man  falleth  seven  times 
and  riseth  up  again  "  (Prov.  24,  16). 

III.  The  greatest  failure  of  all ^  however^  is  the  failure 
to  accoi7iplish  one's  life-work  in  the  kingdom  of  God.  In 
the  great  Missionary  Conference  now  assembled  in 
this  city  are  commissioners  from  the  remotest  ends  of 
the  earth;  and  as  they  sit  together,  like  veterans 
around  the  camp  fire,  one  truth  becomes  manifest, 
God  is  at  -work  in  the  world.  He  is  at  work  setting  up 
his  kingdom  and  is  using  men  to  do  it.  He  is  saving 
the  world  ;  and,  in  his  great  enterprise,  he  invites  our 
co-operation.  "  My  Father  worketh  hitherto,"  said 
Jesus,  "and  I  work!  "  The  man  who  has  not  dis- 
covered this  all-per\^ading  and  supremely  momentous 
fact    in    history   is  blind   and  deaf  indeed.     Listen! 


200  THE    BRIGHT    SIDE    OF    FAILURE. 

The  footfall  of  a  multitude  climbing  the  hills  to  carry 
the  message  of  salvation.  Listen!  The  rolling  of 
the  chariot  wheels  of  Immanuel  coming  this  way! 

Have  you  found  your  place,  my  friend,  in  this 
great  work  ?  Or,  are  you  toiling  with  a  muck  rake  ? 
chasing  butterflies  ?  reaching  after  tinsel  crowns  ? 
Waste  not  your  life  in  these  lower  pursuits.  There 
is  a  place  for  you  in  the  kingdom.  Find  it.  As  you 
care  for  eternal  life,  find  it! 

And,  having  found  your  place  in  the  economy  of 
God's  kingdom,  fill  it.  Be  satisfied  with  nothing 
short  of  your  best  endeavor.  I  do  not  say  that  you 
will  accomplish  this.  Nay,  it  is  a  forgone  conclu- 
sion that  you  will  fall  upon  your  knees  at  every  even- 
tide, mourning,  "I  have  done  the  things  which  I 
ought  not  to  have  done,  and  I  have  left  undone  those 
which  I  ought  to  have  done."  Nevertheless,  he  sends 
his  arrow  highest  who  aims  at  the  sun. 

But  just  here  comes  the  test  of  your  manhood. 
Have  you  courage  to  press  on  ?  We  commiserate 
those  who  are  called  "backsliders";  in  point  of  fact 
we  are  all  backsliders.  Two  steps  forward  and  one 
step  back  is  the  law  of  moral  progress.  Thi§  means 
that  there  is  always  room  for  repentance  but  never 
for  despair.  God's  heart  goes  out  to  every  man  who 
longs  to  be  better.     Therefore,  hope  on,  hope  ever. 

On  the  night  after  the  battle  of  Marston  Moor, 
when  the  Parliamentary  Army  had  been  defeated  by 
Rupert  and  his  Cavaliers,  Oliver  Cromwell,  the  Cap- 
tain of  the  7th  Troop  of  Horse  said  to  his  Com- 
mander, "  The  sun  hath  gone  down  but  the  moon  is 
full;  let  me  advance  my  men!"  And  before  day- 
break he  turned  defeat  into  glorious  victory,  driving 


THE   BRIGHT   SIDE   OF   FAILURE.  201 

the  Cavaliers  like  chaff  before  the  wind.  Blessed  is 
the  man  who  "does  not  know  when  he  is  whipped." 
It  is  so  easy  to  quit;  and  God  loves  not  quitters. 
Pluck  up  heart,  discouraged  friend;  the  sun  hath 
gone  down,  but  the  moon  is  full!  Quit  you  like  a 
man;  be  strong!     And  God  be  with  you. 

Let  me  address  a  word,  in  closing,  to  young  men 
and  young  women  who  have  come  to  this  great  city 
from  homes  at  a  distance,  and  have  met  with  many 
rebuffs  and  discouragements;  who  are  lonely,  home- 
sick, jostled  in  the  madding  crowd,  and  oftentimes 
tempted  to  abandon  the  struggle.  Do  not  give  up! 
Fer  aspera  ad  astraj  by  the  rough  path  to  the  stars ! 
There  is  nothing  in  the  world  or  in  heaven  for  Faint- 
heart. All  things  are  for  those  who  have  confidence 
in  self,  because  they  have  cast  self  upon  the  bosom 
of  God.  It  is  said  that  Marshal  Lefebvre  once,  seeing 
the  eyes  of  a  youth  fixed  steadfastly  upon  the  medals 
with  which  he  was  profusely  adorned,  said  to  him, 
"Envious,  are  you?  Stand  off  yonder  thirty  paces 
and  let  me  fire  at  you  twenty  times  and  all  these 
shall  be  yours.  What,  afraid?  Young  man,  I  have 
been  fired  at  a  thousand  times  to  win  these."  The 
world  is  an  Esdraelon;  life  is  a  conflict;  a  true  man 
is  master-at-arms.  What,  now,  will  you  have  for 
your  watchword?  The  old  Norse  legend,  a  pick-ax 
and  ove.r  it  "I'll  find  a  way  or  make  one"?  Nay, 
better  that  other  Norseman's  device;  an  arm  reached 
up  and  an  Arm  reached  down,  and  across  them,  "  JF/// 
God,  and  I  can!"  I  wish  for  you  a  brave  heart,  a 
prayerful  hope  and  an  ultimate  glorious  success.  "In 
the  bright  lexicon  of  youth  there's  no  such  word  as 
fail." 


CHURCH  UNITY: 

As   SET   FORTH    IN    THE    ECUMENICAL   CONFERENCE   ON    MISSIONS. 

"  And  when  they  were  come  to  Jerusalem,  they  were  received  of  the 
church,  and  of  the  apostles  and  elders,  and  they  declared  all  things  that  God 
had  done  with  them."— Acts  is,  4. 

In  our  Lord's  last  interview  with  his  disciples  he 
directed  them  to  go  into  all  the  world  and  preach  the 
gospel;  but,  for  various  reasons,  they  were  slow  to 
obey.  He  had  said,  "Tarry  at  Jerusalem  until  ye  be 
endued  with  power";  but  Pentecost  came  and  went, 
seven  years  dragged  their  slow  length  along,  and 
still  the  disciples  virere  tarrying  at  Jerusalem.  Then 
came  persecution ;  Stephen  was  stoned,  and  the 
frightened  disciples,  being  scattered  abroad,  went 
everywhere,  "as  far  as  Phenice  and  Cyprus  and 
Antioch,  preaching  the  Lord  Jesus."  For  a  period 
of  twelve  years  there  was  peace,  and  the  gospel  had 
free  course  and  was  glorified.  The  borders  of  the 
mother  church  in  Jerusalem  were  greatly  enlarged, 
and  there  were  numerous  conversions  among  the 
Gentiles  of  Antioch  and  elsewhere. 

A  dispute  arose,  however,  at  this  time,  which 
seriously  threatened  the  harmony  of  the  church; 
the  leaders  at  Jerusalem,  many  of  them  Pharisees 
of   the   most   straitest   sect,   opposed    the    receiving 

of    these    Gentile    converts    into    their    fellowship, 

(202) 


CHURCH   UNITY,  203 

except  "by  way  of  the  gate";  that  is,  through 
conformity  to  Jewish  rites  and  ceremonies.  The 
converts  felt  that  this  was  a  burden  greater  than 
they  could  bear.  The  controversy  waxed  warm,  and 
a  Council  was  called  in  Jerusalem  to  settle  it,  Paul 
and  Barnabas  went  up  from  Antioch  as  commission- 
ers, accompanied  by  Titus,  an  uncircumcised  convert 
from  paganism.  It  was  a  month's  journey;  and 
these  commissioners  preached  the  gospel  with  great 
power  in  cities  and  villages  along  the  way. 

On  their  arrival  at  Jerusalem  a  public  reception  was 
given  them,  after  which  the  Council  was  convened. 
There  was  a  frank  discussion  of  the  question,  in  the 
course  of  which  Peter,  calling  to  mind  his  vision  on  the 
housetop  in  Caesarea,  emphasized  the  fact  that  God 
is  no  respecter  of  persons  and  "hath  put  no  differ- 
ence between  Jews  and  Gentiles,  purifying  their 
hearts  by  faith."  He  was  followed  by  Peter  and 
Barnabas,  who  devoted  themselves  to  a  setting  forth 
of  *  'the  miracles  and  wonders  which  God  had  wrought 
by  them."  Then  James  the  Just,  the  beloved  pastor 
of  the  Jerusalem  church,  made  an  irenic  address,  in 
which  he  urged  that  converts  from  Paganism  should 
be  required  to  refrain  from  all  idolatrous  practices, 
but  that  no  other  condition  should  be  placed  upon 
them.  Action  was  taken  accordingly ;  and  a  circular 
letter  was  sent  to  the  churches,  as  follows : 

* '  The  Apostles  and  Elders  and  Brethren^  to  the  Gentile 
Brethren  in  Antioch  and  Syria  and  Cilicia :  Greeting  ! 
Whereas  we  have  heard  that  certai?i  men  who  went  out  from 
us  have  troubled  you  with  words ^  and  unsettled  your  souls, 
commanding  you  to  circumcise  yourselves  and  keep  the  Law, 
although  we  gave  them  no  such  commissioti : 


204  CHURCH   UNITY. 

*  *  Therefore  it  has  been  determined  by  us,  being  assembled 
with  one  accord,  to  chose  some  from  amongst  ourselves,  and 
send  them  to  you  with  our  beloved  Barnabas  and  Paul,  meti 
that  have  hazarded  their  lives  for  the  name  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  We  have  sent,  therefore,  Judas  and  SilaSy 
who  the  fn selves  also  will  tell  you  by  word  of  mouth  the  same 
which  we  write  u7ito  you. 

'  *  JFor  it  has  been  determined  by  the  Holy  Ghost  and  by 
us,  to  lay  upon  you  no  greater  burden  than  these  necessary 
things :  that  ye  abstain  from  meats  offered  unto  idols,  and 
from  blood  and  from  things  strangled  and  from  fornica- 
tion. Wherefrom  if  ye  keep  yourselves  thus,  it  shall  be  well 
with  you.     Farewell !  ' ' 

It  is  a  long  stride  from  that  original  Council  to 
the  Ecumenical  Conference  which  has  recently  been 
in  session  among  us:  but  the  continuity  of  the  gospel 
may  be  seen  in  their  many  points  of  resemblance.  In 
one  particular  they  were  quite  identical,  namely,  the 
prevailing  spirit  of  harmony.  It  was  not  strange  that 
this  should  be  manifest  in  the  Apostolic  Church, 
since  as  yet  there  was  no  division  into  sects  or 
denominations.  Such  division,  however,  was  a  for- 
gone conclusion.  An  army  of  Crusaders,  going 
forth  to  the  rescue  of  the  Holy  Sepulcher,  was  wont 
to  separate,  for  prudential  reasons,  at  the  border  of 
the  desert,  into  various  detachments,  to  meet  again 
beneath  the  walls  of  the  Holy  City.  Thus,  despite 
the  various  denominations  which  were  represented  in 
this  recent  Conference,  there  was,  in  fact,  a  more 
substantial  unity  than  that  of  the  Apostolic  Church. 
It  was  a  seven-fold  unity,  as  we  shall  see. 

I.  To  begin  with,  these  various  bodies  of  believers 
were  animated  by  a  Common  Spirit  of  Life.    Each  might 


CHURCH   UNITY.  205 

say,  like  the  individual  Christian,  "It  is  not  I  that 
live;  Christ  liveth  in  me."  Our  Romanist  friends 
have  a  proverb:  "Where  the  Church  is,  there  is 
Christ  ";  which,  if  reversed,  is  doubly  true;  "Where 
Christ  is,  there  is  the  Church."  For  Christ  is  the 
center  of  all ;  he  is  the  beating  heart,  the  throbbing 
pulse,  the  heaving  breast,  the  glistening  eye,  the 
busy  brain,  the  eager  hand.  It  is  obvious  that 
churches  which  are  thus  animated  must  draw  nearer 
to  each  other  as  they  approach  this  living  Center,  as 
radiating  beams  of  light  converge  on  their  way  toward 
the  sun.  The  various  branches  of  the  Christian 
church  may  and  do  differ  in  matters  of  minor  impor- 
tance, but  they  are  called  after  the  same  Name — the 
Name  that  is  above  every  other  in  heaven  and  on 
earth, — and  all  are  agreed  in  receiving  him  as  first, 
last,  midst  and  all  in  all. 

II.  These  various  denominations  showed  their 
oneness  also  in  the  £nduement  of  Power.  There  are 
indeed  "  diversities  of  operation,  but  it  is  the  same 
Spirit  which  worketh  all  in  all."  The  hand  of  Leo 
XIII,  laid  on  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  holds  it  in 
a  rigid  oneness  like  that  of  a  bar  of  steel.  But  Prot- 
estant unity  is  of  a  different  sort:  if  the  bar  of  steel 
be  wrought  into  wheels  and  levers  and  pinions,  and 
if  these  be  joined  together  and  articulated  so  as  to 
form  a  subtle  mechanism,  and  if  this  mechanism  be 
pervaded  through  and  through  with  vital  energy, 
you  have  a  working  combination  which  is  vastly  better 
because  more  productive  than  a  rigid  unit.  Protes- 
tantism is  made  up  of  many  factors  brought  together, 
not  in  a  circumstantial  but  in  a  dynamic  harmony,  by 
the  power  of  One  Spirit  who  energizes  all. 


2o6  CHURCH    UNITY. 

III.  There  was,  furthermore,  in  this  Conference  a 
constant  manifestation  of  Mutual  Sympathy.  The 
Church  is  often  referred  to  in  the  Scriptures  as  "the 
body  of  Christ. "  The  body  is  traversed  by  a  nervous 
system,  so  sensitive  throughout,  that  if  you  tread 
upon  the  foot,  there  is  an  instant  thrill  of  sympathetic 
pain  at  the  finger  tips.  The  parallel  is  perfect:  When 
reference  was  made  by  missionaries  of  the  American 
Board  to  wrongs  inflicted  upon  them  in  Turkey,  the 
indignant  response  was  instantaneous.  When  the 
hardships  of  missionaries  in  the  service  of  the  Wes- 
leyan  Church  in  Western  Africa  were  reported,  a 
wave  of  commiseration,  transcending  all  denomina- 
tional barriers,  swept  over  the  entire  assembly.  It 
was  like  the  spirit  of  old-time  Israel,  when,  at  the 
sounding  of  rams'  horns  on  the  heights  of  Benjamin 
to  announce  the  approach  of  the  enemy,  beacons  were 
kindled  from  Dan  to  Beersheba  and  the  gathering  hosts, 
forgetful  of  their  local  shibboleths,  marched  as  one 
against  the  common  foe.  If,  as  is  often  said,  the 
crucial  test  of  friendship  is  adversity,  then  have  these 
denominations  proven  their  amity  in  this  sharing  of 
burdens  and  mingling  of  tears. 

IV.  A  like  conclusion  must  be  drawn  also  from 
their  proclamation  of  a  Common  Purpose,  to  wit,  the 
Salvation  of  the  World.  All  other  considerations  were 
ignored  or  remanded  to  a  subordinate  place.  The 
constant  watchword  was,  "The  World  for  Christ!" 

Was  there  nobody  to  speak  up  in  behalf  of 
Prelacy,  or  Presbytery,  or  Independency  ?  Nobody. 
Not  that  forms  of  government  are  unimportant;  they 
were  merely  crowded  out  by  larger  things. 

Was  there  no  one  in  the  Conference  to  say  a  word 


CHURCH   UNITY.  207 

for  Creeds  and  Symbols  ?  Not  one.  A  profound 
interest  is  felt,  just  now,  in  the  proposed  amendment 
of  the  Westminster  Confession  of  Faith;  but,  in  view 
of  world-wide  schemes  of  evangelization,  there  was 
no  disposition  to  consider  it. 

Was  there  no  one  in  that  vast  concourse  to  lift 
his  voice  in  behalf  of  Ecclesiastical  Genealogies? 
Nay,  not  one.  The  Apostolic  Succession  may  be 
regarded  as  of  vital  importance  in  some  quarters; 
but  men  in  the  harvest  field,  sickle  in  hand,  reaping 
yellow  grain,  cannot  pause  to  dispute  about  their 
family  trees.  When  the  church  is  in  conference,  as 
to  an  enterprise  involving  the  salvation  of  the  nations, 
it  would  be  grotesquely  inappropriate  for  any  par- 
ticular delegation  to  lift  up  its  voice,  crying,  "The 
temple  of  the  Lord  are  we!"  The  attitude  of  this 
great  assembly,  toward  all  such  minor  propositions, 
was  like  that  of  the  returned  exiles,  who,  while 
employed  in  the  rebuilding  of  the  walls  of  Jerusalem, 
were  invited  by  Sanballat  and  others  to  come  down 
and  confer  with  them  in  the  plain  of  Ono.  Their 
answer  was,  "  We  are  doing  a  great  work  so  that  we 
cannot  come  down;  why  should  the  work  cease, 
whilst  we  leave  it,  and  come  down  to  you  ?  " 

V.  There  was  a  further  manifestation  of  unity  in 
the  matter  of  Equipment.  The  workers  were  of  one 
accord  in  reference  to  the  whole  panoply  of  service; 
the  girdle  of  truth,  the  breastplate  of  righteousness, 
the  helmet  of  salvation,  the  shield  of  faith,  and  par- 
ticularly "  the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  which  is  the  Word 
of  God." 

If  there  were  any  friends  of  the  Higher  Criticism 
in  this  great  assemblage,  they  scrupulously  hid  their 


208  CHURCH    UNITY. 

light  under  a  bushel.  The  nearest  approach  to  any 
depreciation  of  the  Scriptures  was  when  a  speaker 
ventured  the  statement  that  "  Christianity  is  not  a 
religion  of  a  Book  but  of  a  Person."  The  half-truth 
thus  enunciated  was  corrected  in  such  vigorous  terms, 
and  the  responsive  applause  was  so  unanimous,  that 
there  could  be  no  doubt  whatever  as  to  the  prevailing 
sentiment.  How,  indeed,  could  there  be  a  difference 
of  opinion,  among  men  engaged  in  active  service,  as 
to  the  integrity  of  the  word  ?  For  on  the  battle  line 
the  only  weapon  used  is  the  sword  of  the  Spirit.  The 
proper  use  of  that  weapon  gives  the  only  promise  of 
success;  as  it  is  written,  "  My  word  shall  not  return 
unto  me  void,  but  it  shall  prosper  in  the  thing  where- 
to I  sent  it." 

If  it  be  asserted  that  the  question  of  the  inerrancy 
of  the  Scriptures  must  be  left  to  Biblical  experts,  we 
answer,  Yes;  but  the  true  "  Biblical  experts"  are  not 
such  as  dwell  in  cloisters  and  pass  upon  the  Scrip- 
tures by  the  light  of  midnight  oil,  but  rather  those 
who  test  the  effectiveness  of  the  word  on  the  high 
places  of  the  field.  The  best  judge  of  a  Damascus 
blade  is  not  a  metallurgist,  but  a  soldier  who  adven- 
tures his  life  upon  the  quality  of  the  steel.  The 
reason  why  Higher  Criticism  is  at  a  discount  in  the 
missionary  field  is  because  a  man  in  active  service  is 
unlikely  to  interest  himself  in  demonstrating  this  his 
only  weapon  to  be  a  wooden  sword. 

In  the  Council  of  Nicea,  which  formulated  for  all 
subsequent  time  the  doctrine  of  the  Divinity  of  Christ 
as  against  Arianism  and  kindred  heresies,  the  dis- 
cussion was  for  a  time  carried  on  by  doctrinaires; 
but  its  final   settlement  was  accomplished  by  the 


CHURCH    UNITY.  209 

resoluteness  of  earnest  men  who  had  suffered  for  the 
truth's  sake.  There  were  some  whose  eyes  had  been 
plucked  out,  others  whose  sinews  had  been  seared 
with  hot  irons,  or  whose  bones  had  been  broken  on 
the  rack.  To  these  the  important  question  was  re- 
ferred as  to  a  Court  of  Last  Appeal.  And  when  they 
arose  to  plead  for  Christ's  Godhood,  who  could  stand 
before  their  sightless  eyes,  their  handless  arms  ?  Our 
controversy  in  these  times  is  not  with  reference  to 
the  divinity  of  the  Incarnate  Word,  but — a  question  of 
correlative  importance — the  integrity  of  the  Written 
Word :  and  its  final  determination  is  in  the  hands, 
not  of  men  who  insist  upon  their  scholarly  attain- 
ments, but  of  such  as  have  demonstrated  the  truth  of 
the  Scriptures  in  personal  contact  with  the  great 
problems  of  evangelization.  Among  such  there  is  no 
divergence  of  opinion,  and  it  was  meet  and  proper 
that  there  should  be  silence  among  the  sciolists  and 
a  lull  in  controversy  in  the  presence  of  these  men. 

VI.  There  was,  furthermore,  a  Consensus  with  refer- 
ence to  the  Progress  of  the  Work.  All  were  agreed,  with 
Paul  and  Barnabas,  that  "  God  hath  done  great  won- 
ders and  miracles."  The  opening  of  this  Conference 
was  simultaneous  with  that  of  the  Paris  Exposition, 
in  which  are  set  forth  the  results  of  secular  progress 
throughout  the  world.  Here  there  was,  indeed,  no 
such  pomp  and  circumstance  as  in  those  palaces  along 
the  Seine,  yet  the  manifesto  was  far  more  significant. 
When  all  the  pictures  exhibited  in  the  galleries  of 
Paris  have  faded,  when  the  masterpieces  of  statuary 
have  crumbled  into  dust,  when  our  boasted  enginery 
of  industrial  power  is  superannuated  and  present 
achievements  are  the  laughing-stock  of  wiser  genera- 


2IO  CHURCH    UNITY. 

tions,  the  results  of  Christian  enterprise  will  remain 
as  the  basis  of  cumulative  and  eternal  conquest. 
Here  is  an  exhibit  of  the  products  of  a  single  century 
of  missions.  For,  strange  to  tell,  the  missionary 
epoch  did  not  begin  until  a  hundred  years  ago.  Now 
all  the  doors  are  open,  and  everywhere  are  uplifted 
pleading  hands. 

It  is  sometimes  urged  that  we  have  nothing  to 
show  for  our  missionary  fervor  except  a  few  hundred 
thousands  of  converts  in  pagan  countries ;  but  this 
is  a  most  inadequate  statement.  It  is  estimated 
that  at  the  beginning  of  the  century  there  were 
two  hundred  millions  under  the  sway  of  the  gospel; 
now  there  are  approximately  five  hundred  millions 
under  the  shadow  of  the  cross.  God  has  honored 
missionary  enterprise  not  only  in  conquests  abroad, 
but  in  the  enlargement  of  our  borders  at  home. 

And  all  this  at  an  insignificant  cost.  To  speak  of 
the  cost  of  evangelization  is  to  argue  the  question 
upon  the  lowest  level.  But  no  gold-bearing  bonds 
have  ever  yielded  such  an  income.  The  amount  ex- 
pended, possibly  one  hundred  millions  of  dollars, 
has  been  but  the  pin-money  of  the  church.  Is  it  not 
marvelous  that  God  should  have  honored  so  signally 
the  gifts  of  our  superflux  ?  There  is  more  money  in 
the  finger-rings  of  God's  people  to-day  than  in  the 
exchequers  of  all  the  Boards  engaged  in  the  evangeli- 
zation of  the  world.  What  we  have  invested  thus  far 
is  less  than  one-third  the  estimated  fortune  of  a  sin- 
gle American  multimillionaire,  and  about  one-seventh 
the  probable  cost  of  the  British  campaign  in  the 
Transvaal.  Yet  what  wonders  and  miracles  have 
been  wrought! 


CHURCH    UNITY.  211 

At  one  of  the  meetings  of  this  Conference, 
ex-President  Harrison,  pointing  to  a  Hindu  woman 
who  sat  beside  him  on  the  platform,  said,  "If  I 
had  been  worth  a  million  and  had  given  it  all  to 
Foreign  Missions,  and  if  there  was  nothing  to  show 
for  it  but  this  convert  from  Brahmanism,  I  would 
not  want  my  money  back."  We  might  go  further 
and  say  that  if,  of  all  the  missionaries  sent  forth,  not 
one  had  reached  his  destination;  if  every  dollar  in- 
vested in  the  enterprise  had  been  lost  in  shipwreck 
on  the  seas;  if  all  the  energy  put  forth  had  never 
made  a  momentary  rift  in  the  deep  darkness  of  the 
pagan  world;  we  should  still  have  no  alternative  but 
to  obey  our  marching  orders,  "Go  ye  into  all  the 
world  and  evangelize!  "  God  has  been  pleased,  how- 
ever, not  to  put  our  feeble  faith  to  such  a  strenuous 
test.  To  the  old  question,  "Watchman,  what  of  the 
night  ?  "  there  is  but  one  answer  from  the  missionary 
stations  of  the  world,  "The  morning  cometh!  " 

VII.  And  finally,  we  have  observed  in  this  Con- 
ference a  Perfect  Unanimity  of  Hope.  Not  once  was 
there  the  striking  of  a  minor  chord.  The  text  of 
Carey's  famous  missionary  sermon  in  1793  was, 
"  Enlarge  the  place  of  thy  tent,  and  let  them  stretch 
forth  the  curtains  of  thine  habitations:  spare  not, 
lengthen  thy  cords,  and  strengthen  thy  stakes " 
(Isa.  54,  2) ;  and  his  discourse  was  divided  into  two 
heads:  First,  "Undertake  great  things  for  God"; 
Second,  "Expect  great  things  from  God."  It  was 
this  sermon  that  struck  the  keynote  of  the  missionary 
work  of  the  century;  and  now,  as  we  look  backward, 
we  clearly  see  the  warrant  of  that  prophetic  dis- 
course.    The  man  who  undertakes,  has  reason  to  ex- 


212  CHURCH    UNITY. 

pect.  It  is  the  seed-sower  who  hears  afar  off  the 
creaking  of  the  loaded  wain. 

At  the  border  of  the  centuries  we  are  facing  a 
vaster  outlook.  Who  shall  cast  the  horoscope  of  the 
next  hundred  years  ? 

I  see  an  army  of  heralds  climbing  the  mountains, 
fording  the  rivers,  crossing  the  deserts;  of  whom  it  is 
written,  "  How  beautiful  are  the  feet  of  those  who 
bring  good  tidings  of  great  joy!"  I  see  the  totter- 
ing walls  of  pagan  strongholds,  rent  asunder  like 
Jericho  by  the  foolishness  of  preaching.  I  hear  the 
fluttering  of  wings;  and  behold,  souls  are  coming  to 
Christ  as  doves  that  flock  to  their  windows.  Far  off 
are  the  white  sails  of  the  ships  of  Tarshish,  that  bring 
the  sons  and  the  daughters  of  the  nations,  and  their 
silver  and  gold  with  them.  Hither  come  the  rams 
of  Nebaioth  and  the  dromedaries  of  Midian ;  caravans 
laden  with  the  glory  of  kings.  I  hear  the  clash  of 
arms  in  midheaven,  mingled  with  a  sound  of  break- 
ing chains;  great  Armageddon  is  at  hand!  I  see  the 
lifting  of  war  clouds,  the  blooming  of  gardens,  the 
opening  of  the  heavens:  and  the  voice  of  a  great 
angel  is  proclaming,  "Behold,  the  tabernacle  of  God 
is  among  men,  and  he  shall  dwell  with  them,  and 
they  shall  be  his  people,  and  God  himself  shall  be 
their  God." 

We  have  observed  a  sevenfold  unity  in  this  Confer- 
ence; and  yet  there  was  no  exploiting  of  unity.  There 
was  no  eloquent  pleading  for  peace.  The  favorite 
hymn  of  the  great  congregations  was  not,  "  Blest  be 
the  tie  that  binds  our  hearts  in  Christian  love." 
Harmony  was  accepted  as  a  fact  accomplished;  and 
the  song  that  prevailed  was  Heber's  bugle  call:— ^ 


CHURCH    UNITY  213 

From  Greenland's  icy  mountains, 

From  India's  coral  strand, 
Where  Afric's  sunny  fountains 

Roll  down  their  golden  sand  ; 
From  many  an  ancient  river, 

From  many  a  palmy  plain, 
They  call  us  to  deliver 

Their  land  from  error's  chain  ! 

A  personal  word  in  conclusion:  We  hear  much 
in  these  times  of  the  importance  of  keeping  "abreast 
of  the  age."  In  the  light  of  recent  events  it  is  fair 
to  say  that  no  man  is  abreast  of  this  age  who  is  not 
lending  a  hand  with  all  God's  people  in  the  conquest 
of  the  world.  This  is  the  matter  of  supreme  impor- 
tance ;  and  it  will  take  precedence  of  all  other  con- 
siderations until  the  last  sinner  is  converted  to  God. 
The  man  who  does  not  believe  in  Foreign  Missions  is 
lagging  far  behind  the  times.  He  has  not  heard  the 
news.  Life  which  expends  itself  in  secular  pursuits, 
unmindful  of  God's  yellow  harvest,  is  a  lamentable 
waste,  an  eternal  failure. 

On  one  occasion,  when  Handel  was  rehearsing  in 
London  the  oratorio  of  "The  Messiah  "  he  arrested 
the  performance  to  say,  "I  miss  one  flageolet!"  He 
had  detected  the  default  of  a  member  of  his  great 
orchestra.  Friend,  have  you  neglected  to  perform 
your  part  in  the  service  of  the  kingdom  ?  Does  God 
miss  ^^z*;.?  Fail  not  here  !  The  air  is  vibrant  with 
tidings  of  conquest  all  around  the  horizon.  God  asks 
you  to  cooperate  with  him  in  bringing  back  the  world 
to  truth  and  righteousness.  If  you  would  be  abreast 
of  the  times,  fall  in  with  his  faithful  people  :  for  the 
true  "spirit  of  the  age"  is  the  Spirit  of  God. 


A  CUP  OF  COLD  WATER 

"  And  whosoever  shall  give  to  drink  unto  one  of  these  little  ones  a  cup  of 
cold  water  only  in  the  name  of  a  disciple,  verily  I  say  unto  you,  he  shall  in  no 
wise  lose  his  reward." — Matt.  lo,  42. 

Our  city  is  greatly  blessed  just  now  in  being 
permitted  to  entertain  a  large  number  of  missionaries 
from  all  portions  of  the  world.*  The  air  is  vibrant  with 
the  magnetic  power  of  the  great  propaganda.  The 
word  of  command  which  was  given  by  the  Captain  of 
our  Salvation,  "  Go!  Go  ye  into  all  the  world  and 
preach  the  gospel,"  is  heard  above  all  the  confused 
sounds  of  the  great  metropolis.  It  is  a  wonderful 
word;  the  blare  of  trumpets  and  the  footfall  of  an 
advancing  multitude  are  in  it.  And  what  a  splendid 
illustration  it  finds  in  the  life  and  labor  of  these  vet- 
erans who  have  come  hither  from  the  firing  line! 

But  they  are  not  the  only  missionaries ;  all  true  fol- 
lowers of  Christ  are  under  the  great  commission.  He 
said:  "As  the  Father  hath  sent  me  into  the  world,  so 
send  I  you."  The  evangel  is  proclaimed  not  only  by 
those  adventurous  and  consecrated  spirits  who,  with 
their  lives  in  their  hands,  have  penetrated  the  jungles 
and  fastnesses  of  the  pagan  world,  but  by  all  who, 
however  humbly,  declare  in  word  or  life  the  unsearch- 
able riches  of  Christ. 

*  The  Ecumenical  Missionary  Council  was  in  session  in  New  York,  April 
2ist  to  May  ist,  1900. 

(3x4) 


A    CUP    OF    COLD    WATER.  21^ 

"  If  you  cannot  cross  the  ocean  and  the  heathen  lands  explore, 
You  can  find  the  heathen  nearer,  you  may  help  them  at  your 

door. 
If  you  cannot  speak  like  angels,  if  you  cannot  preach  like  Paul, 
You  can  tell  the  love  of  Jesus;  you  can  say,  '  He  died  for  all.' 
Take  the  task  he  gives  you  gladly,  let  his  work  your  pleasure  be, 
Answer  quickly,  when  he  calleth,  '  Here  am  I,  send  me  !  send 
me! '  " 

Not  more  really  did  Augustine  or  William  Carey 
go  preaching  the  Gospel  than  does  he  who,  in  the 
Master's  name,  puts  a  cup  of  cold  water  to  thirsty 
lips.  Our  text,  which  expresses  the  Law  of  Kindness 
in  a  nutshell,  will  enable  us  to  correct  some  popular 
misconceptions  with  reference  to  practical  Christianity 
as  manifest  in  love  toward  men. 

At  the  outset,  we  are  here  advised  that  philan- 
thropy is  something  more  than  a  theory.  Our  world 
would  be  a  vastly  better  place  to  live  in  if  all  who  are 
engaged  in  the  forensic  solution  of  altruistic  prob- 
lems, were  to  translate  their  arguments  into  good 
works.  The  gist  of  the  matter  is  not  to  arrive  at  a 
correct  understanding  of  the  refreshing  qualities  of 
cool  water,  nor  to  discover  the  psychological  basis  of 
human  kindness,  nor  to  determine  the  just  and  normal 
relations  of  the  water-carrier  to  thirsty  souls,  but  to 
get  the  refreshing  draught  to  fevered  lips. 

It  was  my  privilege  a  year  ago  to  attend  a  national 
Sociological  Convention  where  each  delegate  seemed 
to  have  a  panacea  for  all  the  ills  that  human  flesh  is 
heir  to.  There  was  no  end  of  discussion  as  to  the 
inequalities  of  society,  the  heartlessness  of  the  rich, 
the  miseries  of  the  poor,  and  the  wrongs  of  "  the  man 
with  the  hoe."  No  doubt  all  present  were  sincere  in 
their  desire  for  the  world's  betterment;  but,  through- 


2l6  A   CUP   OF   COLD   WATER. 

out  the  proceedings,  one  seemed  to  be  hearing  con- 
tinually the  hard  question  of  the  Apostle  James,  "If 
a  brother  or  sister  be  naked  and  destitute  of  daily 
food,  and  one  of  you  say  unto  them.  Depart  in  peace, 
be  ye  warmed  and  filled;  notwithstanding  ye  give 
them  not  those  things  which  are  needful  to  the  body; 
what  doth  it  profit?  "  The  most  useful  member  of 
that  conference,  as  the  issue  proved,  was  an  elderly 
man  who  uttered  no  word,  but  proceeded  to  devote 
the  entire  remainder  of  a  large  fortune  to  beneficence. 
Would  that  there  were  more  like  Dr.  Pearson,  who 
"suits  ever  the  action  to  the  word,  the  word  to  the 
action."  All  know  the  fundamental  facts  of  socio- 
logical science;  all  are  familiar  with  the  misery  of 
thirst  and  are  sorry  for  the  thirsty;  but  blessed  is  he 
who  dips  his  cup  into  the  spring  and  carries  the  water 
to  those  who  need  it. 

The  entire  field  of  Sociology  was  covered  by  our 
Lord  in  his  parable  of  the  Good  Samaritan.  Three 
altruists  were  on  their  way  to  the  Holy  City:  One  of 
them,  a  priest,  as  he  journeyed,  saw  a  wounded  man 
by  the  wayside  and  would  fain  have  helped  him ;  but 
contact  with  blood  would  have  rendered  him  cere- 
monially unclean  and  unfit  to  minister  in  the  Temple 
service,  wherefore,  though  reluctantly,  he  must  needs 
pass  on.  The  next,  a  Levite,  when  he  saw  the  suf- 
ferer, was  moved  with  compassion  and  lingered  a 
while  over  the  prostrate  form  ;  but  he  had  an  appoint- 
ment at  the  Temple  and  a  glance  at  the  sun  reminded 
him  that  time  was  passing;  he. must  hasten  on.  But 
the  third,  a  Samaritan,  who  appears  to  have  been 
riding  in  haste,  probably  on  business  of  importance, 
dismounted   and   bound    up   the   sufferer's  wounds, 


A   CUP   OF   COLD    WATER.  21 7 

pouring  in  oil  and  wine,  then  set  him  on  his  own 
beast  and  brought  him  to  an  inn  and  took  care  of  him. 
This  is  presented  as  our  Lord's  pattern  of  neighborli- 
ness.  His  conclusion  of  the  argument  is  full  of  the 
eloquence  of  practical  philanthropy:  "Go  and  do 
thou  likewise," 

Our  text,  moreover,  lays  stress  upon  the  importance 
of  motive.  The  best  work  is  that  which  is  done  "in 
the  name  of  a  disciple,"  or,  as  elsewhere  stated, 
"  because  ye  belong  to  Christ  "  (Mark  9,  41).  All 
beneficence  is  not  worthy  of  reward.  There  is  a 
natural  kindness  which  is  merely  instinctive,  such  as 
mother's  love.  It  is  no  praise  to  say  of  a  man  that 
he  is  kind  to  his  household;  the  absence  of  such 
kindness  would  be  abnormal  and  monstrous.  A 
tigress  cares  for  her  cubs;  the  hen  gathers  her  brood 
under  her  wings.  There  is  no  moral  value  in  this, 
nor  reward  attached  to  it. 

There  is  an  emotional  kindness,  which  is  better 
but  not  the  best.  It  is  the  natural  outgoing  of  a 
generous  nature,  oftentimes  traceable  to  one's  fore- 
bears. It  expresses  itself  in  voluble  terms  of  com- 
miseration and  in  flowing  tears.  A  rum-seller  died 
in  New  York  recently  who,  being  a  factor  in  munici- 
pal politics,  was  eulogized  by  the  newspapers  chiefly 
on  account  of  his  tender  heart.  "  No  one,"  they  say, 
"ever  appealed  to  him  in  vain.  He  scattered  his 
money  right  and  left  among  the  poor.  He  was  a 
large-hearted,  open-handed  man.  He  could  not  see 
suffering  without  relieving  it."  But  such  benevo- 
lence as  this,  under  analysis,  vanishes  into  thin  air. 
The  business  of  the  man  was  to  ruin  his  fellowmen. 
His  money  was  wrung  from  the  hearts  ©f  widows  and 


2l8  A    CUP    OF   COLD    WATER. 

orphans.  With  one  hand  he  stole  the  loaf  from  the 
bread-winner  and  with  the  other  gave  a  biscuit  to  his 
hungry  children.  With  one  hand  he  pushed  his 
miserable  victim  out  into  the  awful  darkness  from 
which  returns  the  voice,  *'  No  drunkard  shall  inherit 
the  kingdom  of  God!"  and  with  the  other  hung 
crape  on  his  doorknob  and  placed  new  coppers  on 
his  dead  eyes. 

A  far  better  form  of  benevolence  is  that  which 
comes  from  the  recognition  of  our  filial  relation  with 
all  about  us.  That  makes  a  great  difference.  The 
other  day  I  pushed  my  way  into  a  crowd  gathered 
about  a  man  who  had  fallen  in  a  fit.  I  felt,  as  did 
all  the  bystanders,  a  sincere  pity  for  the  sufferer;  but 
suppose  I  had  recognized  him  as  a  brother,  a  real 
brother  in  the  flesh,  what  a  practical  turn  my 
sympathy  would  straightway  have  taken  !  In  a 
moment  I  would  have  had  his  head  upon  my  arm, 
wiping  the  flecks  of  foam  from  his  lips.  In  reality, 
however,  all  the  suffering  people  of  the  earth  are 
brethren  of  mine;  as  it  is  written,  "  There  is  one  God 
and  Father  of  us  all." 

But  the  highest  level  of  brotherly-kindness  is 
when  we  help  a  man  "because  he  belongs  to  Christ." 
This  includes  all  the  other  forms  of  benevolence  and 
vastly  more.  A  drunkard,  lying  in  the  gutter,  is  not 
only  my  brother  in  the  universal  kinship,  but  he 
belongs  to  Christ.  A  wretched  drab,  whose  shame 
is  written  in  her  painted  face,  has  an  interest  in  my 
Saviour's  love.  He  paid  the  ransom  for  these  out- 
casts. They  are  bought  with  a  price,  not  silver  and 
gold,  but  the  precious  blood  of  Jesus  as  of  a  lamb 
without  blemish  and  without  spot.     It  behoves  me, 


A   CUP    OF    COLD    WATER.  2ig 

therefore,  in  the  name  of  a  disciple,  to  do  good  unto 
these  as  unto  all  men. 

Still  further,  we  have  in  our  text  a  correction  of  the 
common  Rule  of  Measicrement.  A  cup  of  water  seems  a 
little  thing,  but  the  Lord  intended  that  none  should 
excuse  himself  from  the  obligation  of  kindness  by  the 
■  plea  of  poverty  and  so  he  put  its  exercise  within  the 
reach  of  all.  And,  indeed,  who  can  say  with  assur- 
ance that  a  cup  of  water  is  "a  little  thing?"  God 
alone  can  pass  on  trifles;  his  thoughts  are  not  as 
our  thoughts.  The  world  revolves  on  small  pivots; 
trifles  determine  the  destinies  of  nations,  the  wel- 
fare of  communities,  the  eternal  weal  or  woe  of  men. 

The  world  rings  with  the  praises  of  great  benefac- 
tions, such  as  the  building  of  churches  and  the  endow- 
ment of  hospitals.  Some  men  can  do  these  things 
more  easily  than  others  can  spend  a  shilling.  One 
of  our  multimillionaires  has  just  given  fifty  thousand 
dollars  for  the  establishment  of  a  public  library  in 
a  neighboring  town;  and  the  trumpet  sounds  before 
him.  But  when  we  reflect  that  this  man  has  a  con- 
trolling interest  in  one  of  our  great  industrial  trusts, 
from  which  not  less  than  thirty-six  millions  are  said 
to  have  been  realized  in  profits  last  year,  the  bene- 
faction loses  much  of  its  significance,  being  in  fact 
less  than  one-tenth  of  one  per  cent,  of  the  donor's 
income,  All  charities  are  good  as  far  as  they  go, 
but  some  do  not  go  very  far. 

All  gifts  and  benefactions  must  sooner  or  later 
pass  under  the  scrutiny  of  him  who  sat,  once  on  a 
time,  by  the  treasury  of  the  Temple;  while  the 
people  were  casting  in  gifts.  The  rich  men  of 
Jerusalem  passed  by  and   threw  their  golden  coins 


220  A   CUP   OF   COLD    WATER. 

into  the  brazen  mouth  of  Corban,  which  answered 
back  as  with  a  trumpet's  lips,  "Behold,  what 
Charity!"  But  presently  a  poor  widow  came  by, 
pale-faced  and  thinly  clad,  and  cast  in  two  farthings; 
whereupon  the  Lord  said,  **She,  who  hath  given  of 
her  penury,  hath  given  more  than  they  all." 

No  one  can  measure  or  discriminate  between  the 
great  and  the  little;  but  each  is  bound  to  do  his  best 
and  utmost.  A  grain  of  sand  does  its  part  in  holding 
back  the  rolling  tides;  a  drop  of  water  helps  to 
resolve  the  light  into  the  beauty  of  the  bow  of 
promise.  A  child's  hand  may  be  a  more  potent  force 
in  history  than  a  militant  host.  In  great  and  little, 
therefore,  let  me  do  for  others  what  the  passing 
opportunity  requires  of  me. 

"  If  any  little  word  of  mine  can  make  a  life  the  brighter, 
If  any  little  song  of  mine  can  make  a  heart  the  lighter, 
God  help  me  speak  that  little  word  and  take  my  bit  of  singing 
And  drop  it  in  some  lonely  vale  to  set  the  echoes  ringing," 

It  remains  to  speak  of  the  reward  of  kindly  deeds. 
The  farmers  who  are  now  scattering  grain  in  their 
fields  know  not  whether  shall  prosper  this  or  that; 
but  no  seed  of  kindness  ever  fails  to  germinate. 
The  promise  is  a  great  one:  "Verily  I  say  unto  you, 
he  shall  in  no  wise  lose  his  reward."  It  is  bound 
with  a  threefold  cord:  "Verily,"  "  I  say  unto  you," 
and  "  In    no   wise." 

The  reward  referred  to  is  partly  here  and  now. 
If  there  were  no  heaven,  it  would  still  be  a  profit- 
able business  to  do  good  as  we  have  opportunity 
unto  all  men.  There  is  no  pleasure  in  the  world 
like  that  which  one  of  the  poets  calls,  "The  generous 
pleasure  of  a  kindly  deed."     The  heart  knows  no 


A    CUP    OF    COLD    WATER  221 

such  genial  warmth  as  that  which  is  produced  by 
practical  sympathy  with  the  suffering  bodies  and 
troubled  souls  of  men. 

There  is  a  further  reward  in  the  lingering  influ- 
ence of  a  benevolent  deed.  I  could  never  be  an 
astronomer,  however  I  might  try,  because  the  stars 
blur  so  before  my  eyes.  The  reason  is  this:  I  had  a 
dear  sister,  gone  to  heaven  years  ago,  who  used  to 
sit  with  me  on  starry  nights  in  the  porch  of  our  far 
western  home  and  point  out  the  constellations.  I 
can  still  detect  the  fragrance  of  the  jessamine  that 
grew  beside  the  steps;  and  whenever  I  look  toward 
the  heavens  I  hear  her  telling  over  the  signs  of 
the  Zodiac  and  Ursa  Major  and  the  others.  In  the 
interstellar  spaces  I  see  her  face  smiling  down  upon 
me,  and  the  music  of  the  spheres  is  the  music  of  her 
loving  voice.  This  is  why  the  stars  are  blurred  for 
me.  Kindness  is  immortal.  Men  die,  but  their 
deeds  live  on.  Hands  are  folded  over  silent  breasts; 
but  the  helpful  hand  is  forever  stretched  out. 

The  great  reward,  however,  is  reserved  for  the 
long  hereafter.  What  that  reward  may  be  we  are 
not  told.  The  Master  leaves  it  quite  indefinite,  say- 
ing only,  "  Ye  shall  in  no  wise  lose  it."  Its  value  is 
intimated  in  such  figures  as  a  "penny  at  evening" 
(only  a  penny;  but  what  a  penny  that  will  be!);  "a 
whitestone  with  a  new  name  written  therein"  (God 
grant  that  the  new  name  may  be  given  to  each  of 
us!);  "an  inheritance  incorruptible,  undefiled  and 
that  fadeth  not  away  ";  but  even  this  inheritance  can 
only  be  set  forth  in  general  terms,  since  the  will  is 
not  opened  yet.  One  thing  we  know;  at  the  gate- 
way of  heaven  the  Master  will  meet  us  saying,  "  Well 


222  A    CUP    OF    COLD    WATER. 

done;  enter  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord"  and,  "Inas- 
much as  ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of  the  least  of 
these,  my  brethren,  ye  have  done  it  unto  me." 

It  is  obvious  from  the  foregoing  that  in  order  to 
gain  a  practical  knowledge  of  the  highest  form  of 
philanthropy,  we  must  enter  into  cordial  sympathy 
with  the  love  and  labor  of  Jesus  Christ.  He  was  the 
great  Altruist,  the  great  Philanthropist,  the  pre-emi- 
nent Lover  of  Men.  All  sociological  problems  find 
their  solution  in  him. 

One  reason  why  a  man  should  come  to  Christ  is 
that  he  may  get  under  the  shadow  of  his  cross;  for 
there  only  can  be  found  the  pardon  of  sin.  But 
another  reason  is,  that  he  may  get  under  the  burden 
of  his  own  cross;  that  is,  to  enter  into  fellowship 
with  Christ  in  his  great  work  of  self-denial  for  the 
temporal  and  spiritual  good  of  men.  I  have  heard 
that  during  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg  there  was  a 
little  patch  of  ground  which  was  occupied  in  turn  by 
the  contending  forces.  It  was  covered  with  the  dead 
and  the  dying;  and  all  through  the  afternoon  of  a 
weary  day  the  cry  was  heard,  "Water,  water!"  A 
Southern  soldier  begged  of  his  captain  to  be  allowed 
to  answer  those  piteous  cries,  but  met  with  the  re- 
fusal: "No;  it  would  be  certain  death."  He  per- 
sisted, however,  saying,  "Above  the  roar  of  artillery 
and  the  crack  of  the  muskets  I  hear  those  cries  for 
water:  let  me  go!"  He  set  out  with  a  bucket  of 
water  and  a  tin  cup;  for  awhile  the  bullets  sang 
around  him,  but  he  seemed  to  bear  a  charmed  life. 
Then,  as  the  Federals  beyond  the  field  perceived 
his  purpose,  the  firing  gradually  ceased;  and  for  an 
hour  and  a  half  there  was  an  armistice,  while  the 


A    CUP    OF    COLD    WATER  223 

soldier  in  gray,  in  full  sight  of  both  armies,  went 
about  on  his  errand  of  mercy.  Verily,  that  was  the 
truce  of  God ! 

And  this  was  the  kindness  of  our  Lord.  He  came 
from  heaven  to  bring  the  cup  of  cold  water  to  dying 
men.  Ah,  that  was  the  greatest  kindness  that  ever  j 
was  known.  It  was  the  most  sublime  heroism,  too. 
But  the  firing  did  not  cease  when  he  came  to  us  with 
the  water  from  the  well  beside  the  gate  at  Bethlehem; 
his  mercy  to  usward  cost  him  his  life.  What  shall 
we  render  unto  the  Lord  for  his  loving  kindness? 
We  will  take  the  cup  of  his  salvation.  All  that 
he  asks  of  you  and  me  is  that  we  drink  and  live. 
Take  the  brimming  cup  of  heavenly  grace,  my  friend ; 
drink  what  you  need  and  pass  it  on  to  your  neighbor; 
for  there  is  enough  for  all! 


PETER  AND  JOHN  AT  THE  OPEN 
SEPULCHER 

"  The  first  day  of  the  week  cometh  Mary  Magdalene  early,  when  it  was 
yet  dark,  unto  the  sepulcher,  and  seeth  the  stone  taken  away  from  the 
sepulcher.  Then  she  runneth,  and  cometh  to  Simon  Peter,  and  to  the 
other  disciple,  whom  Jesus  loved,  and  said  unto  them.  They  have  taken 
away  the  Lord  out  of  the  sepulcher,  and  we  know  not  where  they  have 
laid  him.  Peter  therefore  went  forth,  and  that  other  disciple,  and  came  to  the 
sepulcher.  So  they  ran  both  together  :  and  the  other  disciple  did  outrun  Peter, 
and  came  first  to  the  sepulcher.  And  he,  stooping  down,  and  looking  in,  saw 
the  linen  clothes  lying  ;  yet  went  he  not  in.  Then  cometh  Simon  Peter  follow- 
ing him,  and  went  into  the  sepulcher,  and  seeth  the  linen  clothes  lie,  and  the 
napkin,  that  was  about  his  head,  not  lying  with  the  linen  clothes,  but  wrapped 
together  in  a  place  by  itself.  Then  went  in  also  that  other  disciple,  which  came 
first  to  the  sepulcher,  and  he  saw,  and  believed." — John  20,  1-8. 

It  was  meet  that  the  advent  of  Jesus  Christ  should 
be  heralded  in  song.  The  virgin  mother,  Simeon  and 
Anna  in  the  Temple,  the  angels  on  the  hillsides — how 
they  sang,  "  Joy  to  the  world  !  the  Lord  is  come!  " 

It  was  meet  that  the  death  of  Jesus  should  be 
celebrated  with  tears.  The  heart  of  the  virgin  mother 
was  rent  as  by  the  piercing  of  a  sword ;  the  mothers 
of  Jerusalem  followed  Jesus  in  the  sad  procession  to 
Golgotha  bewailing  and  lamenting  him ;  the  heavens 
were  veiled  during  the  awful  tragedy  and  the  earth's 
bosom  heaved  with  moaning. 

But  now  that  Christ  is  risen,  his  disciples  go  run- 
ning to  and  fro.  The  group  of  women  who  had  gone 
with  slow,  sad  steps  to  Joseph's  garden  in  the  early 


PETER    AND    JOHN    AT    THE    OPEN    SEPULCHER.       225 

morning,  came  running  to  the  city  with  a  strange 
tale,  "  The  Lord  is  risen  from  the  dead!"  Was  it 
strange  that  some  refused  to  believe  without  a  per- 
sonal investigation?  Peter  and  John  said,  "It  is  a 
mere  rumor;  we  will  go  and  see."  They  set  out, 
accordingly,  at  a  sedate  pace,  but  presently  broke 
into  a  run.  For  if  this  rumor  was  true,  it  was  the 
best  news  that  ever  fell  on  mortal  ears. 

As  they  draw  near  to  the  garden  they  perceive 
that  something  has  happened ;  the  stone  is  rolled 
away  from  the  sepulcher.  They  approach  and  stand 
without,  peering  into  the  darkness,  saying  nothing. 
They  are  divided  betwixt  doubt,  wonder  and  un- 
speakable hope.  They  are  facing  the  most  stupen- 
dous of  problems:  "  If  a  man  die,  will  he  live  again?  " 
The  grave  is  empty.  Does  this  mean  that  Jesus  has 
triumphed  over  death?  If  so,  they  enter  into  new- 
ness of  life.  If  so,  the  winter  is  past,  indeed,  and 
the  time  of  the  singing  of  birds  is  come.  If  so,  life 
is  worth  living  and  death  is  the  portal  of  life  everlast- 
ing. What  possibilities  open  before  them  as  they 
stand  gazing  into  the  gloom! 

Now  Peter,  more  adventurous  than  his  compan- 
ion, has  entered  the  tomb.  John  asks,  "  What  seest 
thou?  "  He  answers,  "  The  cere-clothes  are  here," — 
and  doubtless  the  voice  of  the  fisherman  broke  with 
tender  recollections — "  the  very  clothes  wherein  we 
wrapped  him,  still  fragrant  with  the  spices  which 
Joseph  of  Arimathaea  brought  us." 

Let  us  pause  here  to  dwell  upon  an  important 
truth  suggested  by  these  graveclothes ;  a  truth  which 
brings  our  Saviour  into  closest  fellowship  with  us. 
He  took  upon  himself  not  the  nature  of  angels  but  of 


226   PETER  AND  JOHN  AT  THE  OPEN  SEPULCHER. 

men.  At  his  birth  he  was  wrapped  in  swaddling 
bands;  and  infancy  was  made  sacred  forevermore. 

"  A  feeble  child  he  came;  yet  not  the  less 

Brought  godlike  childhood  to  the  aged  earth." 

In  course  of  time  he  put  on  the  homespun  of  a  work- 
ingman ;  and  by  that  token  handicraft  was  made 
honorable  forever  and  the  honest  toiler  brought  near 
to  God.  Presently  they  clothed  him  in  purple,  the 
cast-off  garment  of  a  pontifical  magistrate,  and  pass- 
ing by  they  mocked  him ;  and  by  that  fact  an  innumer- 
able company  of  lesser  heroes  have  been  enabled  and 
encouraged  to  suffer  for  righteousness'  sake.  And 
when  life  was  over,  he  was  wrapped  in  the  cerements 
of  the  grave.  Thus  he  took  our  nature  with  all  its 
attendant  conditions,  and  even  to  the  end,  was  very 
man  of  very  man.  We  approach  God's  Acre  with  a 
firmer  step  since  we  know  that  he  passed  through  its 
wicket-gate;  the  earth  is  not  so  cold  since  then,  the 
sepulcher  less  dark.  "So  Jesus  slept;  and,  passing 
through  the  grave,  he  blessed  the  bed." 

We  left  John  standing  without  the  sepulcher;  but 
now  he  also  enters;  and  as  the  two  disciples  gaze 
with  reverent  affection  on  the  grave  clothes,  the  sub- 
lime truth  of  the  Resurrection  is  borne  in  upon  them  ; 
"he  could  not  be  holden  with  the  bands  of  death!  " 
And  they  put  each  other  in  remembrance  of  his  words, 
"  Destroy  this  temple  and  in  three  days  I  will  raise  it 
up."  And  again,  "  As  Jonah  was  three  days  and  three 
nights  in  the  whale's  belly,  so  also  shall  the  Son  of 
Man  be  three  days  and  three  nights  in  the  heart  of 
the  earth."  And  they  recall  his  forecast  during  the 
last  journey  through  Caesarea  Philippi,  which  seemed 
so  mysterious  then,  how  he  "  must  needs  suffer  many 


PETER    AND    JOHN    AT    THE    OPEN    SEPULCHER.      227 

things  of  the  elders  and  chief  priests  and  scribes,  and 
be  killed  and  be  raised  again  the  third  day." 

But,  as  doubt  ever  stands  at  the  elbow  of  joy,  so 
it  occurs  to  these  disciples  that  perhaps  the  enemies 
of  Jesus  have  stolen  his  body  away.  This  misgiving, 
however,  is  instantly  dispelled  by  a  glance  at  the 
napkin,  folded  carefully  and  laid  away  by  itself. 
"This  would  not  have  been  done, "  they  say,  "by 
those  who  were  pillaging  a  tomb.  Here  are  no 
tokens  of  haste,  but  of  calm  deliberation.  He  took 
his  departure  as  when  a  king  rises  from  his  bed  to 
greet  the  dawning  light.  He  rubbed  the  death-dew 
from  his  eyes,  laid  off  these  garments  of  corruption 
passed  through  the  door,  and  turning  said,  *  Farewell, 
O  Death!'" 

So  they  said  one  to  the  other,  "  We  will  doubt  no 
more!"  And  they  never  did.  There  were  indeed 
some  of  the  disciples  who  doubted,  but  they  had  not 
looked  into  this  empty  sepulcher.  Not  many  days 
after,  amid  the  wonders  of  the  Pentecostal  miracle, 
Peter  stood  up  in  the  midst  of  the  multitude  and 
said,  "  Ye  men  of  Israel,  hear  these  words ;  Jesus  of 
Nazareth,  a  man  approved  of  God  among  you  by  miracles 
and  wonders  and  signs,  which  God  did,  by  him,  in  the 
midst  of  you,  as  ye  yourselves  also  know :  him,  being 
delivered  up  by  the  determinate  counsel  and  foreknowl- 
edge of  God,  ye  have  taken,  and  by  wicked  hands  have 
crucified  and  slain :  whom  God  hath  raised  up,  having 
loosed  the  pains  of  death  :  because  it  was  not  possible  that 
he  should  be  holden  of  it.  For  David  speaketh  concerning 
him,  I  foresaw  the  Lord  always  before  my  face  ;  for  he  is 
on  my  right  hand,  that  I  should  not  be  moved :  therefore 
did  my  heart  rejoice  and  my  tongue  was  glad ;  moreover 


228      PETER    AND    JOHN    AT    THE    OPEN    SEPULCHER. 

also  my  flesh  shall  rest  in  hope ;  because  thou  wilt  not 
leave  my  soul  in  hell,  7ieither  wilt  thou  suffer  thine  Holy 
One  to  see  corruption.  Men  and  brethren^  the  prophet 
spake  this  of  Christ,  7vhom  God  hath  raised  up,  whereof 
we  are  all  witnesses."  And  long  afterward  when  John 
was  sole  survivor  of  the  apostolic  circle,  an  exile  in 
Patmos,  he  saw  Jesus  walking  amid  the  golden 
candlesticks  clothed  with  the  garments  of  a  royal 
priest  and  girt  with  a  golden  girdle,  his  countenance 
as  the  sun  shineth  in  his  strength,  and  he  heard  him 
say,  **/  am  he  that  liveth  and  was  dead,  and  behold,  I 
am  alive  for  evermore,  and  have  the  keys  of  death  and  hell. " 

If  it  is  true  that  Jesus  is  risen,  what  are  the  things 
that  follow  ? 

First;  he  is  very  God  of  very  God.  This  was  his 
great  claim.  He  arrogated  to  himself  all  the  divine 
attributes.  He  said  distinctly,  "  He  that  hath  seen 
me  hath  seen  the  Father;  I  and  my  father  are  one." 
All  his  miracles  were  intended  to  substantiate  this 
claim;  but  the  climax  of  the  argument  was  his  con- 
quest of  death.  He  manifested  his  power  over  the 
elements  by  calming  the  storm  and  walking  on  the 
sea.  He  opened  the  eyes  of  the  blind,  wiped  off  the 
leper's  spots  and  healed  all  manner  of  diseases.  He 
commanded  the  demons  to  come  forth  and  they 
obeyed  him.  But  the  demonstration  of  his  divine 
authority  was  not  concluded  until  he  proved  himself 
to  be  the  death  of  death  and  hell's  destruction. 
Thus  it  is  written,  "  He  showed  himself  to  be  the  Son 
of  God  with  power  by  his  resurrection  from  the 
dead." 

The  issue  was  fairly  joined  when  the  seal  of  the 
Roman  Empire  was  affixed  to  the  door  of  the  sepul- 


PETER   AND   JOHN    AT    THE   OPEN   SEPULCHER.    229 

cher.  "  Make  it  fast, "  said  the  Governor,  and  they 
did  so.  It  was  now  the  dead  and  buried  Christ 
against  Rome,  against  the  Sanhedrin  of  Israel, 
against  the  world,  against  the  powers  of  hell.  Could 
he  be  holden  ?  Then  was  he  no  greater  than  others 
who  lay  sleeping  in  the  dust.  The  guards  paced  to 
and  fro — and  he  that  sitteth  in  heaven  laughed.  ' '  Go, " 
he  said  to  a  fortunate  angel,  "and  roll  away  the 
stone  from  his  sepulcher  !  Let  the  world  know  that 
he  is  my  only-begotten  and  well-beloved  Son  !  " 

The  second  truth  which  stands  forth  in  the  clear  light 
of  this  miracle  is  the  validity  of  Christ's  gospel.  He 
claimed  to  have  power  on  earth  to  forgive  sin ;  our 
destiny  rests  in  his  verification  of  that  claim.  He 
hypothecated  its  truth  on  his  ability  to  conquer 
death.  This  was  the  crucial  test;  if  this  fail,  he  is 
no  longer  an  almighty  Saviour  but,  like  Samson 
shorn  of  his  locks,  is  weak  as  other  men.  In  show- 
ing himself  as  Lord  of  Life,  he  demonstrates  his 
ability  to  quicken  those  who  are  dead  in  trespasses 
and  sins.  As  the  first  beams  of  the  morning  are  seen 
not  in  the  East  but  in  their  reflected  glory  on  the 
western  skies,  so  the  light  of  the  open  sepulcher  falls 
upon  the  tragedy  of  the  cross;  and  the  weird  dark- 
ness of  Golgotha  is  made  to  prophecy  the  break  of 
day.  In  that  reflected  light  we  read  the  sure  fran- 
chise of  our  salvation:  "This  is  a  faithful  saying 
and  worthy  of  all  acceptation,  that  Christ  Jesus  came 
into  the  world  to  save  sinners,"  and  "his  blood 
cleanseth  from  all  sin." 

The  third  truth  thrown  into  bold  relief  by  this  miracle 
is  our  resurrection  from  the  dead.  In  this  transaction  as 
elsewhere,  Christ  stood  as  the  representative  of  his 


230     PETER    AND    JOHN    AT    THE    OPEN    SEPULCHER. 

people.  We  share  his  destiny,  for  better  or  for 
worse.  We  are  bound  up  in  the  same  bundle  of  life 
or  death  with  him.  It  is  not  enough  for  those  who 
believe  in  his  resurrection  to  say  as  Sir  Walter 
Raleigh  did: 

"  E'en  such  is  Time  that  takes  in  trust 
Our  youth,  our  joys  and  all  we  have, 
And  pays  us  back  in  sordid  dust  ; 
Who  in  the  dark  and  silent  grave, 
When  we  have  lived  out  all  our  ways. 
Shuts  up  the  story  of  our  days. 
But  from  this  earth,  this  grave,  this  dust. 
My  God  will  raise  me  up,  I  trust  " 

Not  bold  enough!  Not  positive  enough!  "  I  trust  ?  " 
Nay,  blessed  be  God  for  certainty.  I  know  that  my 
Redeemer  liveth;  and  I  know  that,  because  he  liveth, 
I  shall  live  also.  There  is  no  room  for  doubt  or 
question  or  misgiving.  The  stone  is  rolled  away, 
The  problem  is  solved.  The  mists  are  rolled  from 
before  the  sun.  Life  and  immortality  are  brought 
to  light. 

One  other  truth,  fraught  with  immeasurable  comfort^ 
is  made  clear  by  the  Easter  miracle  j  to  wit,  the  home-life 
of  heaven.  In  our  Lord's  last  interview  with  his  dis- 
ciples, in  the  upper  room  in  Jerusalem  where  they 
were  accustomed  to  meet,  he  spoke  of  his  Father's 
house  of  many  mansions,  saying,  "  I  go  to  prepare  a 
place  for  you  ;  "  and  he  closed  that  interview  with 
the  words,  "Arise,  let  us  go  hence."  Thus  all  the 
sweet  conferences  of  earth  are  broken  up.  Thus  all 
life's  chapters  of  affection  end.  Thus  from  our  earthly 
homes  the  dear  ones  vanish  one  by  one.  But  ere 
long  the  disciples  of  Jesus  met  again  in  that  Father's 


PETER  AND  JOHN  AT  THE  OPEN  SEPULCHER.   23 1 

house,  and  then  they  knew  the  full  significance  of 
his  words.  They  saw  his  face ;  they  recognized  each 
other  in  new  fellowship  with  him.  So  shall  we  meet 
and  know  each  other  in  the  heavenly  home;  and  we 
shall  go  no  more  out  forever.  The  friends  from 
whom  we  have  parted  for  a  little  while  have  entered 
into  the  inheritance  of  their  risen  Lord.  God's  Acre 
is  but  the  King's  garden,  and  the  dew  of  those  that 
sleep  is  as  the  dew  of  herbs. 

"  With  thy  rude  plowshare,  Death,  turn  up  the  sod, 
And  spread  the  furrow  for  the  seed  we  sow: 
This  is  the  field  and  Acre  of  our  God, 

This  is  the  place  where  human  harvests  grow." 

It  is  recorded  that  when  the  two  disciples  had 
viewed  the  open  sepulcher  they  went  away  again 
unto  their  own  home.  But  home  and  service  and 
life  could  never  again  be  what  they  were.  The  joy 
of  an  unspeakable  hope  had  entered  their  hearts  and 
thereafter  they  went  telling  the  news  that  "Jesus, 
who  was  crucified,  had  risen  and  was  alive  forever- 
more. "  That  which  they  thus  so  simply  preached 
was  presently  formulated  by  the  Apostle  Paul  into  a 
doctrinal  statement,  which  has  been  incorporated  into 
the  creeds  of  the  universal  Church:  '■'■Now  if  Christ  be 
preached  that  he  rose  from  the  deady  how  say  some  among 
you  that  there  is  no  resurrection  of  the  dead  ?  But  if  there 
be  no  resurrection  of  the  dead,  then  is  Christ  not  risen. 
And  if  Christ  be  not  risen,  then  is  our  preaching  vain,  and 
your  faith  is  also  vain.  Yea,  and  we  are  found  false 
witnesses  of  God;  because  we  have  testified  of  God  that  he 
raised  up  Christ:  whom  he  raised  not  up,  if  so  be  that  the 
dead  rise  not.  For  if  the  dead  rise  not,  then  is  Christ  not 
raised;  and  if  Christ  be  not  raised,  your  faith  is  vain :  ye 


232     PETER   AND    JOHN    AT    THE   OPEN   SEPULCHER. 

are  yet  in  your  sins.  Then  they  also  which  are  fallen 
asleep  in  Christ  are  perished.  If  in  this  life  only  we  have 
hope  in  Christy  we  are  of  all  men  most  miserable.  But 
now  is  Christ  risen  from  the  dead,  and  becofne  the  firstfruits 
of  them  that  slept.  For  since  by  man  came  death,  by  man 
came  also  the  resurrection  of  the  dead.  For  as  in  Adam 
all  die,  even  so  in  Christ  shall  all  be  tnade  alive.  But  every 
man  in  his  own  order  ;  Christ  the  firstfruits  j  afterwards 
they  that  are  Christ's  at  his  coming.  Then  cometh  the  end, 
when  he  shall  have  delivered  up  the  Kingdojn  to  God,  even 
the  Father  ;  when  he  shall  have  put  down  all  rule  and  all 
authority  a?id  all  power.  For  he  must  reign,  till  he  hath 
put  all  enemies  under  his  feet.  The  last  enemy  that  shall 
be  destroyed  is  death.  And,  behold,  I  show  you  a  mystery  : 
We  shall  not  all  sleep,  but  we  shall  all  be  changed.  In  a 
moment,  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  at  the  last  trump.  For 
the  trumpet  shall  sound,  and  the  dead  shall  be  raised  incor- 
ruptible, and  we  shall  be  changed.  For  this  corruptible 
must  put  on  incorruption,  atid  this  mortal  jnust  put  on 
immortality.  So  when  this  corruptible  shall  have  put  on 
incorruption,  and  this  ?nortal  shall  have  put  on  irmnortality , 
then  shall  be  brought  to  pass  the  saying  that  is  written, 
Death  is  swallowed  up  in  victory.  O  death,  where  is  thy 
sting  ?  O  grave,  where  is  thy  victory  ?  The  sting  of  death 
is  sifi  J  and  the  strength  of  sin  is  the  law.  But  thanks  be 
to  God,  which  giveth  us  the  victory  through  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  Wherefore,  my  beloved  brethren,  be  ye  steadfast, 
unmovable,  always  abounding  in  the  work  of  the  Lord,  for- 
asmuch as  ye  know  that  your  labor  is  not  in  vain  in  the 
Lord:' 


THE  PARABLE  OF  THE  EMPTY  HOUSE 

"  When  a  strong  man  armed  keepeth  his  palace,  his  goods  are  in  peace : 
but  when  a  stronger  than  he  shall  come  unto  him,  and  overcome  him,  he  taketh 
from  him  al!  his  armour  wherein  he  trusted,  and  divideth  his  spoils.  (He  that 
is  not  with  me,  is  against  me  :  and  he  that  gathereth  not  with  me,  scattereth.) 
When  the  unclean  spirit  is  gone  out  of  a  man,  he  walketh  through  dry  places> 
seeking  rest ;  and  finding  none,  he  saith,  I  will  return  unto  my  house  whence  I 
came  out.  And  when  he  cometh,  he  findeth  it  swept  and  garnished.  Then 
goeth  he,  and  taketh  to  him  seven  other  spirits  more  wicked  than  himself  ;  and 
they  enter  in,  and  dwell  there  :  and  the  last  state  of  that  man  is  worse  than  the 
first." — Luke  ii,  21-26. 

The  speaker  was  distinctly  a  man  of  the  people, 
wholly  unfamiliar  with  the  method  of  the  schools; 
yet  he  showed  himself  here  a  consummate  master  of 
dialectics.  He  was  addressing  a  group  of  learned 
theologians  who,  standing  by  while  he  exorcised  a 
dumb  spirit,  had  charged  him  with  casting  out  devils 
through  Beelzebub,  the  chief  of  devils.  His  first 
answer  was  what  is  technically  called  the  reductio  ad 
absurdum :  "If  it  be  true  that  'a  house  divided 
against  itself  cannot  stand,'  what  shall  be  said  of  the 
kingdom  of  Satan  if  it  be  thus  divided? "  His  second 
answer  was  the  arguniejitum  ad  honii7iem  :  "  If  I  by 
Beelzebub  cast  out  devils,  what  shall  be  said  of  your 
sons  who  claim  to  practice  exorcism?  Let  them  be 
your  judges."  His  third  answer  was  in  the  form  of 
a  syllogism:  "If  I  cast  out  devils  not  by  Satanic 
power,  but  with  the  finger  of  God,  then  is  the  king- 

(233) 


234     THE  PARABLE  OF  THE  EMPTY  HOUSE, 

dom  of  God  among  you."  So  without  turning  aside 
an  hair's  breadth  from  his  usual  simplicity,  he  dis- 
played an  absolute  mastery  of  the  philosophic  method. 
His  adversaries  were  worsted ;  they  had  nothing  to 
say. 

He  then  returned  to  the  customary  use  of  para- 
bles, and  bade  his  hearers  listen  to  a  Domestic 
Tragedy.  The  story  opens  with  a  Spirit  of  Evil — 
here  called  "  the  strong  man  " — in  possession  of  a 
certain  house,  not  as  the  rightful  owner,  but  by 
squatter's  right.  Presently  a  stronger  than  he  lays 
siege  to  the  domicile  and  enters  in.  The  strong  man, 
thus  evicted,  "  walketh  through  dry  places,  seeking 
rest  and  finding  none."  After  a  while  he  discovers 
that  the  house,  though  swept  and  garnished,  is  empty 
and  unguarded ;  whereupon  he  calleth  seven  spirits, 
more  wicked  than  himself,  and  they,  forcing  an 
entrance,  take  up  their  abode  there:  and  the  condi- 
tion is  thus  worse  than  ever.  The  picture  is  easily 
filled  out;  there  are  lights  in  the  windows,  music  and 
dancing,  wild  revels  and  boisterous  laughter;  the 
fiends  are  in  possession. 

The  Jews  would  understand,  at  once,  the  historical 
reference  in  this  parable.  The  besetting  sin  of  their 
nation  had  been  idolatry.  They  were  forever  coveting 
the  abominations  of  the  heathen.  The  Chaldeans  wor- 
shiped the  sun;  and  Israel  must  needs  go  into  the 
chambers  of  imagery  and  bow  before  the  lights  of 
heaven.  The  Egyptians  worshipped  bulls,  beetles 
and  all  manner  of  flying  and  creeping  things;  and 
Israel  hastened  to  set  up  a  golden  bull  in  the  very 
shadow  of  the  flaming  mountain.  The  Syrians  wor- 
shiped Baal  and  Astarte ;  and  the  Israelites  were  not 


THE   PARABLE   OF     THE   EMPTY    HOUSE.  235 

content  until  they  had  kindled  fires  on  all  the  hill- 
tops to  the  worship  of  those  unclean  deities.  Thus 
for  a  thousand  years  the  strong  man  was  in  posses- 
sion of  the  house. 

Then  came  the  sweeping.  In  the  seventy  years  of 
the  Babylonish  captivity,  God's  besom  purged  the 
nation  of  idolatry.  On  the  return  to  Palestine  the 
people  set  up  their  ancient  altars  and  never  again  did 
they  as  a  nation  forsake  the  formal  worship  of  the 
true  God. 

And  after  that  the  garnishing.  For  four  hundred 
years  the  religious  leaders  of  Israel  devoted  them- 
selves to  the  construction  of  a  ceremonial  system. 
No  such  magnificent  ritual  has  ever  been  known. 
The  temple  was  reconstructed  and  an  army  of  priests 
and  Levites  marched  in  solemn  procession  before  it. 
They  broadened  their  phylacteries  and  made  long 
prayers  at  the  corners  of  the  streets.  The  annual 
feasts  were  observed  by  millions  of  worshipers  from 
every  part  of  Jewry  encamped  around  the  Holy  City. 
There  was  scrupulous  regard  for  all  ecclesiastical 
forms;  fasts  were  multiplied  and  tithes  were  paid  of 
garden  herbs.  It  was  a  most  dazzling  display  of 
pomp  and  circumstance.  The  form  of  godliness  was 
there,  but  not  the  power  thereof.  God  said,  "Your 
new  moons  and  your  appointed  feasts  my  soul  hateth ; 
they  are  a  weariness  unto  me!  " 

The  house  was  full  of  religiosity,  but  empty  of 
pure  and  undefiled  religion.  The  strong  man  who  had 
been  evicted  came  back,  with  other  devils  worse  than 
himself,  and  took  possession :  Pride  and  Arrogance, 
Avarice,  Uncharitableness,  Insincerity  and  Hypocrisy, 
and  one  with  flaming  eyes  and  cruel  hands, — Blood- 


236      THE  PARABLE  OF  THE  EMPTY  HOUSE. 

guiltiness, — plotting  the  murderof  God's  well-beloved 
Son. 

To  the  house  of  Israel  thus  emptied  of  idolatry, 
and  re-occupied  by  other  and  more  malignant  spirits 
of  evil,  came  the  long-looked-for  Messiah;  for  him 
the  nation  had  been  waiting  since  the  time  of  the 
protevangel ;  and  now  behold,  the  people  hid  as  it 
were  their  faces  from  him;  "  he  came  unto  his  own 
and  his  own  received  him  not."  He  wept  over  the 
nation:  "O  Jerusalem!  how  often  would  I  have 
gathered  you,  as  a  hen  doth  gather  her  brood  under 
her  wings,  and  ye  would  not;  and  now,  behold,  your 
house  is  left  unto  you  desolate!  " 

Let  it  not  be  supposed,  however,  that  this  Parable 
of  the  Empty  House  was  intended  for  the  Jews  alone. 
We  are  all  too  willing  to  put  up  our  umbrellas,  in 
the  hearing  of  great  truths,  that  the  practical  appli- 
cation may  fall  on  Jews,  Samaritans  or  any  other 
than  ourselves.  In  the  present  instance  we  shall 
find,  however,  that  our  Lord's  discourse  is  not  only  of 
general  application  but  addresses  itself  directly  to  us. 
We  are  all  conscious  of  sin.  This  is  a  truism 
But  there  comes  a  time  in  the  life  of  every  man  when 
he  feels  that  some  particular  sin  has  strengthened 
itself  into  a  Habit;  and  sooner  or  later,  if  not 
arrested,  this  habit  becomes  a  dominating  Vice. 
Then  comes  the  sweeping  process  known  as 
"reform."  The  man  is  restive  under  the  whip  of 
scorpions  which  indulgence  lays  upon  him.  He 
knows  that  he  was  made  for  better  things  and 
resolves  to  free  himself  from  his  bondage.  "I 
will !  "  he  cries.  "I  will "  is  stronger  than  the  strong 
man  and   drives  him  out.     I  do  not  believe  in  the 


THE   PARABLE   OF    THE   EMPTY   HOUSE.  237 

plea,  SO  frequently  advanced  by  bondslaves  of  habit, 
that  their  wills  are  paralyzed.  As  a  rule,  this  means 
simply  that  the  man  prefers  to  continue  in  sin. 

The  man  who,  by  the  power  of  resolution,  sweeps 
out  besetting  Vice,  congratulates  himself  because  he 
is  no  longer  a  vulgar  thief,  an  inebriate  or  debauchee. 
He  is  determined  to  be  a  better  man  and  sets  him- 
self about  the  garnishing.  This  process  is  also 
called  "Ethical  Culture."  The  man  avoids  this, 
that  and  the  other  pernicious  thing.  He  scrupulously 
heeds  such  injunctions  as,  "Thou  shalt  not  steal," 
"Thou  shalt  not  kill,"  "Thou  shalt  not  commit 
adultery."  But  "Thou  shalt  not"  saves  no  man; 
for  character  is  vastly  more  than  a  bundle  of  nega- 
tive graces.  To  go  thus  far  and  no  further  is  simply 
to  come  up  alongside  of  the  Pharisee  who  said, 
"God,  I  thank  thee  that  I  am  not  as  other  men;  an 
extortioner,  an  adulterer  or  even  as  yon  Publican.  I 
am  free  from  flagrant  sins." 

But  the  house  thus  swept  and  garnished  is  still 
empty;  and  an  empty  house  gives  a  cordial  invitation 
to  new  devils  who  are  ever  ready  to  enter  in.  They 
are  usually  prim  and  respectable  devils,  indeed ;  such 
as  Pride,  Envy,  Jealousy,  Avarice,  Unholy  Ambition 
and  others  of  the  specious  forms  of  selfishness;  but 
quite  as  diabolical  in  the  pure  sight  of  Heaven  as  the 
more  vulgar  and  repugnant  vices. 

The  impious  career  of  Ahab  was  brought  to  a 
halt  by  the  three  years  of  famine.  When  he  stood  at 
Mount  Carmel  and  saw  the  fire  descending  from 
heaven  to  consume  the  sacrifice  on  Jehovah's  altar, 
he  was  quite  ready  to  fall  in  with  the  popular  cry, 
"  The  Lord,  he  is  the  God!  "    His  soul  was  then  and 


238      THE  PARABLE  OF  THE  EMPTY  HOUSE. 

there  emptied  of  his  besetting  vice,  but  he  still  kept 
Jehovah  at  arm's  length,  and  other  sins,  no  less  hein- 
ous, came  in  and  took  possession  of  him.  At  lengfth 
he  came  to  Ramoth  Gilead  and  there,  in  disguise, 
fought  against  God ;  an  arrow  shot  at  a  venture 
found  the  joint  of  his  harness  and  the  dogs  licked  up 
his  blood.  It  is  an  old  story,  but  repeated  over  and 
over  again  in  human  experience. 

In  one  of  the  letters  of  Charles  Lamb  occurs  this 
pathetic  passage:  "  The  waters  have  gone  over  me. 
But  out  of  the  black  depths,  could  I  be  heard,  I  would 
cry  out  to  all  those  who  have  set  foot  in  the  perilous 
flood.  Could  the  youth,  to  whom  the  flavor  of  the 
first  wine  is  delicious  as  the  opening  scenes  of  life 
or  the  entering  of  some  newly  discovered  paradise, 
look  into  my  desolation,  and  be  made  to  understand 
what  a  dreary  thing  it  is  when  he  shall  feel  himself 
going  down  a  precipice  with  open  eyes  and  a  passive 
will;  to  see  his  destruction  and  have  no  power  to 
stop  it;  to  see  all  godliness  emptied  out  of  him  and 
yet  not  be  able  to  forget  a  time  when  it  was  other- 
wise; to  bear  about  the  piteous  spectacle  of  his 
own  ruin;  could  he  see  my  fevered  eye,  fevered 
with  the  last  night's  drinking  and  feverishly  look- 
ing for  to-night's  repetition  of  the  folly;  could  he 
but  feel  the  body  of  the  death  out  of  which  I  cry 
hourly,  with  feebler  outcry,  to  be  delivered  —  it 
were  enough  to  make  him  dash  the  sparkling  bev- 
erage to  the  earth,  in  all  the  pride  of  its  mantling 
temptation." 

And  here  we  touch  the  point  of  weakness  in  all 
personal  reform  which  is  attempted  without  the  help 
of  God.     The  adversary,  expelled  for  a  while  and 


THE    PARABLE    OF    THE    EMPTY    HOUSE.  239 

wandering  in  dry  places,  is  ever  vigilant  to  return 
with  other  foul  spirits.  In  such  cases  we  are  wont 
to  say,  "The  man  has  gone  back."  Not  so;  the 
Devil  has  gone  back  into  him. 

What  is  needed  then  in  order  to  make  the  process 
effectual  ?  A  new  tenant;  for  grace,  like  nature, 
abhors  a  vacuum.  You  may  undertake  to  exhaust 
the  foul  air  of  an  apartment  by  the  mechanical  pro- 
cess of  the  air  pump;  but,  if  successful,  have  you 
really  produced  a  better  condition  of  things  ?  Is  not 
the  simpler  method  the  wiser  one  ?  Throw  open  the 
windows,  and  the  clearer  air  rushing  in  will  drive  out 
the  foul.  Here  is  what  Dr.  Chalmers  called  "the 
expulsive  power  of  a  new  affection." 

The  new  affection  must  be  the  love  of  God.  The 
soul  will  be  satisfied  with  nothing  less,  since  it  was 
created  in  the  likeness  and  for  the  glory  of  God.  He 
alone  can  animate  it.  A  man  may  scour  an  image 
clean  and  clothe  it  in  royal  apparel,  but  God  alone 
can  breathe  into  it  the  breath  of  life.  This  is  Regen- 
eration. In  vain  are  the  cleansing  and  the  garnish- 
ing, unless  the  divine  Presence  shall  tenant  the  house, 
and  unless  the  soul  shall  meet  the  primal  behest, 
"  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God." 

But  there  can  be  no  new  affection  unless  there  be 
a  new  conviction  for  it  to  rest  on.  We  cannot  love  God 
by  main  force;  we  can  only  love  him  when  we  per- 
ceive there  is  just  reason  for  doing  so.  It  would  be 
an  easy  matter  to  solve  the  problem  of  perpetual 
motion  if  we  could  but  find  a  perpetual  force  or 
motor  to  place  behind  it.  All  emotions  are  transitory, 
unless  they  rest  on  truth  which  is  eternal.  In  casting 
about  for  the  truth  which  shall  serve  as  a  substratum 


240  THE   PARABLE    OF    THE   EMPTY    HOUSE. 

for  love  toward  God,  we  turn  of  necessity  to  the 
Cross.  Here  God  reveals  himself  in  Christ  as  the 
great  Lover  of  men.  He  "so  loved  the  world." 
Here  is  the  rationale  of  piety:  we  love  God  because 
he  first  loved  us.  If  we  enter  on  religion  with  any 
other  motive  than  that  which  is  suggested  on  Calvary, 
we  shall  fail.  You  may  set  your  clock  going,  but  it 
will  run  down.  The  only  chronometer  that  needs 
never  to  be  wound  up  is  God's  planetary  system, 
which  finds  its  counterpart  in  his  gospel  of  grace. 
To  have  a  vision  of  God,  face  to  face,  as  manifested 
in  Christ  crucified,  is  to  be  "reformed  "  effectually. 
The  soul  is  swept  in  justification,  garnished  in  sancti- 
fication,  and  filled  more  and  more,  as  time  passes, 
with  love  expressing  itself  in  filial  devotion  to  the 
service  of  God. 

Thus  the  new  affection,  founded  on  the  new  con- 
viction, leads  to  a  new  occupation,  in  pursuance  of  the 
Master's  injunction,  "  Seek  ye  first  of  all  the  kingdom 
of  God."  The  soul  is  no  longer  empty;  its  energies 
have  found  something  to  do.  There  is  nothing  more 
eerie  than  an  empty  house.  Let  it  be  swept  and 
garnished  never  so  well,  it  is  the  abode  of  loneliness 
and  melancholy.  Cry  aloud  and  a  hundred  echoes 
answer  you.  Laugh  and  the  wierd  laughter  of  hiding 
specters  comes  back  to  you.  What  shall  be  done  ? 
Let  the  New  Tenant  enter.  Light  the  candles,  kindle 
the  fires,  awake  the  sounds  of  honest  life  and  industry. 
The  soul  is  unsatisfied  with  sweeping  and  garnishing: 
it  must  welcome  the  Householder  and  in  his  service 
find  employment  for  its  energies.  There  is  nothing 
truer  than  the  proverb,  "  Satan  finds  some  mischief 
still  for  idle  hands  to  do." 


THE  PARABLE  OF  THE  EMPTY  HOUSE.      24 1 

The  children  of  Israel,  on  their  return  from  cap- 
tivity, set  about  the  restoration  of  the  Holy  City. 
The  rubbish  heaps  were  removed;  the  owl  and  the 
bittern  fled  from  the  sound  of  hammer  and  ax;  the 
people,  with  trowel  in  hand,  gave  themselves  to  the 
building  of  the  walls.  In  vain  did  evil  spirits  await 
the  opening  of  the  gates.  Sanballat  and  Tobiah 
stood  beneath  the  walls  saying,  "Come,  let  us  take 
counsel  together;"  but  the  builders  answered,  "We 
are  doing  a  great  work  so  that  we  cannot  come 
down. "  Oh,  blessed  is  the  man  who  has  welcomed  the 
Master  to  his  soul  and  has  found  the  true  devotion 
which  can  reply  to  all  temptation,  "Why  should  the 
work  cease,  while  I  leave  it  and  come  down  to  you  ?  " 

We  observe  in  the  midst  of  this  parable  a  singular 
parenthesis  which  seems  to  have  no  proper  connection, 
"He  that  is  not  with  me  is  against  me;  and  he  that 
gathereth  not  with  me  scattereth."  In  fact,  however, 
this  is  the  very  heart  of  the  parable.  It  sets  forth 
the  proposition  that  a  half-Christian  is  no  Christian 
at  all.  The  man  who  has  simply  emptied  his  soul  of 
flagrant  vices  is  like  Ephraim,  "a  cake  not  turned." 
The  moral  man  who  declines  to  admit  Christ  as  his 
Lord  and  Saviour  is  not  with  Christ  but  against  him. 
To  sweep  a  house  is  not  to  welcome  a  tenant.  Garnish- 
ing is  not  giving  one's  self  to  God.  Freedom  from 
vice  is  not  virtue.  To  heed  the  command  "Thou 
shalt  not  "  is  far  from  obeying  the  word  "  Thou  shalt. " 
Religion  is  positive  life  and  perpetual  growth.  It  is 
the  throwing  of  the  whole  soul  open  to  the  unreserved 
mastery  of  Christ. 

Here  then  is  our  lesson :  Be  not  content  with  the 
sweeping  and  the  garnishing.     Throw  open  thy  soul 


242  THE    PARABLE    OF    THE    EMPTY    HOUSE, 

to  him  who  knocketh ;  thou  art  wronging  thyself  by- 
refusing  to  admit  him.  Doctor  Arnot,  in  Glasgow, 
learned  that  a  poor  widow  was  to  be  ejected  for  non- 
payment of  rent  and  resolved  to  relieve  her.  He 
went  to  her  house,  accordingly,  and  knocked  and 
knocked  again  in  vain.  Not  long  after,  he  met  the 
woman  on  the  street  and  mentioned  his  visit.  "Why, 
Doctor  Arnot,"  she  said,  "was  it  you?  I  was  in  the 
house  all  the  time,  but  thought  it  was  my  landlord 
coming  for  his  rent,  and  I  kept  the  door  bolted  against 
him."  How  many  there  are  who,  thus  misappre- 
hending God's  grace,  are  unwilling  to  receive  him. 
"Behold,  I  stand  and  knock;  if  any  man  will  open 
unto  me,  I  will  come  in  and  sup  with  him."  If  you, 
my  friend,  have  been  making  a  vain  struggle  to  save 
yourself  by  main  strength,  and  have  failed,  why  not 
open  to  the  great  Helper  now  ?  Your  soul  will  be 
glorified  by  the  light  of  his  countenancp  and  filled 
with  all  the  fulness  of  God. 


THE  FINDING  OF  AN  OLD  BOOK 

"  And  Hilkiah  the  high  priest  said  unto  Shaphan  the  scribe,  I  have  found 
the  Book  of  the  Law  in  the  house  of  the  Lord.  And  Hilkiah  gave  the  book  to 
Shaphan,  and  he  read  it.  And  Shaphan  the  scribe  showed  the  king,  saying' 
Hilkiah  the  priest  hath  delivered  me  a  book.  And  Shaphan  read  before  the 
king."— 2  Kings  22,  8-10. 

The  name  of  Josiah  is  in  the  roll  call  of  the 
mighties.  When,  at  eight  years  of  age  he  came  to 
the  throne,  religion  was  at  its  lowest  ebb.  At  sixteen 
he  was  converted,  or  as  the  record  says  "  he  began 
to  seek  after  the  God  of  his  fathers."  Soon  after- 
ward he  instituted  a  national  reformation.  The  high 
places  and  graven  images  were  removed ;  the  altars 
of  Baal  were  broken  down;  the  bones  of  the  pagan 
priests  were  taken  out  of  the  sepulchres  and  burned 
on  the  defiled  altars.  In  the  eighteenth  year  of  his 
reign  Josiah  gave  orders  for  the  restoration  of  the 
Temple,  and  the  work  was  prosecuted  with  great 
energy.  The  incident  referred  to  in  our  text  occurred 
at  this  time.  The  high  priest  Hilkiah,  while  rum- 
maging in  one  of  the  lumber  rooms  of  the  Temple, 
found  adust-covered  scroll  bearing  the  title,  "The 
Book  of  the  Law  by  the  Hand  of  Moses."  He  took 
the  book  to  Shaphan  the  prime  minister  of  Josiah  who 
was  a  scribe  or  professor  of  Biblical  exegesis,  by  whom 
it  was  recognized  as  the  long-lost  and  neglected  copy 
of  the  Scriptures  which  had  been  deposited  originally 

(243) 


244  THE    FINDING    OF     AN    OLD    BOOK. 

in  the  side  of  the  Ark  to  be  used  in  the  Temple  service. 
The  discovery  was  reported  to  the  king,  and  the  book 
was  read  before  him.  When  the  twenty-eighth  chap- 
ter of  Deuteronomy  was  reached,  in  which  the  words 
of  the  covenant  are  recorded  with  its  blessings  and 
admonitions,  the  king  could  contain  himself  no  longer, 
but  rent  his  clothes  in  token  of  extreme  sorrow 
and  contrition.  Thenceforth  the  reformation  which 
had  been  begun  by  Josiah  was  prosecuted  with  re- 
newed vigor;  and  this  book  gave  the  key-note  to  the 
subsequent  reign  of  Josiah,  of  which  it  is  written, 
"And  all  his  days  the  people  departed  not  from 
following  the  Lord. " 

This  original  autograph  of  the  Scriptures  had 
been  given  by  inspiration  and  "written  by  the  hand 
of  Moses."  It  could  contain  nothing  but  truth,  since 
its  author  "wrote  as  he  was  moved  by  the  Spirit  of 
God."  The  shafts  of  destructive  criticism  have  for 
the  last  fifty  years  been  directed  at  this  original  auto- 
graph. The  question  stands  thus:  Was  the  Law  of 
the  Lord,  as  written  by  the  hand  of  Moses,  a  volume 
of  inerrant  truth  or  a  tissue  of  mingled  truth  and 
falsehood  ?  We  are  told  by  those  who  have  led  the 
assault  that  the  case  is  closed  and  that  the  Scriptures 
are  effectively  discredited  as  an  infallible  rule  of 
faith  and  practice.  If,  indeed,  the  case  be  closed,  it 
is  not  as  the  destructive  critics  assert,  but  rather 
after  the  manner  set  forth  in  iEsop's  fable  of  the 
rushlight:  "On  a  moonlight  night  a  Rush,  grown 
arrogant  by  over-much  feeding  with  rich  oil,  said, 
'  Behold,  how  I  outshine  the  sun  and  moon  and  stars. ' 
But  at  that  moment  a  puff  of  wind  came  by  and  blew  it 
out;  and,  lo,  the  sun  and  moon  and  stars  shone  on." 


THE    FINDING    OF    AN    OLD    BOOK.  245 

It  is  not  my  purpose,  however,  to  enter  upon  the 
merits  of  the  Biblical  controversy.  The  matter  in 
hand  is  distinctly  personal,  to  wit.  Where  do  we  find 
ourselves  with  reference  to  the  Scriptures?  Do  we  still 
receive  them  as  an  inerrant  guide  or  has  our  confi- 
dence been  shaken  by  the  stress  of  contrary  winds  ? 
The  Bible  is  not  lost  to  the  world,  since  the  Word  of 
the  Lord  endureth  forever;  but,  to  all  intents  and 
purposes,  it  is  lost  to  the  man  who  no  longer  believes 
and  loves  it. 

1.  The  Bible  may  be  lost  by  Neglect.  It  was  provided 
that  the  king  of  Judah  should  have  a  copy  of  the 
Book  of  the  Law  for  his  personal  use;  but  the  father 
and  grandfather  of  Josiah,  both  indisposed  toward 
the  truth,  had  doubtless  excused  themselves  from 
reading  the  sacred  scroll  on  account  of  their  absorp- 
tion in  affairs  of  state.  We  are  all  thus  liable  to 
waive  the  weighty  matters  of  religion  in  our  devotion 
to  worldly  cares.  "  The  world  is  so  much  with  us." 
If  a  man  would  succeed  in  our  time,  he  must  strip  to 
the  waist  and  enter  the  lists  to  win.  In  the  morning 
after  a  hasty  breakfast  he  speeds  to  the  market-place; 
at  night,  weary,  he  retires  to  rest.  His  mind  is  full 
of  temporalities,  and  the  affairs  of  eternity  go  by 
default.  The  family  altar  is  not  unfrequently  aban- 
doned and  the  Bible  lies  unused  upon  the  shelf; 
the  dust  covers  it  and  spiders  weave  their  webs 
about  it. 

2.  We  may  lose  the  Bible ^  also,  by  Reading  without 
Studying  it.  Our  Lord  said,  "  Search  the  Scriptures;" 
the  word  suggests  an  earnest  quest,  as  of  one  seeking 
for  hid  treasure,  A  man  may  run  fleetfoot  for  a  life- 
time over  the  richest  gold  fields  and  yet  have  not  a 


246  THE    FINDING    OF     AN    OLD    BOOK. 

penny  to  his  name.  He  who  would  find  the  precious 
ore  must  dig  for  it  with  pick  and  mattock.  The 
cursory  reading  of  the  Scriptures  is  one  of  the 
lamentable  faults  of  our  busy  age.  We  run  as  we 
read;  and,  so  doing,  run  past  great  events  and 
eternal  verities.  We  run  through  the  twentieth 
chapter  of  Exodus,  and  the  sound  of  the  Lord's 
trumpet  makes  little  or  no  impression  upon  us.  We 
run  past  Calvary  and  the  great  tragedy  which  dark- 
ened the  heavens  and  shook  the  earth  is  as  a  tale  that 
is  told.  We  scarcely  pause  to  think,  much  less  to 
read  between  the  lines;  thus  our  reading  of  the 
Scriptures  becomes  a  perfunctory  and  profitless  serv- 
ice and  the  truth  imperceptibly  slips  from  us. 

3.  We  lose  our  Bibles,  also,  by  Studying  without  Read- 
ing them.  This  is  not  so  paradoxical  as  it  seems.  We 
are  frequently  told  that  ours  is  an  age  of  Bible  study. 
It  is  true  that  we  are  much  engaged  in  arguing  about 
the  Bible.  We  contemplate  it  from  the  outside,  and 
discuss  elaborately  its  structure,  its  codification,  its 
chronology  and  geography,  its  etymology  and  syntax, 
everything  except  the  truth  which  it  contains;  the 
revelation  which  God  here  makes  to  sinful  men. 
What  would  be  thought  of  a  man  who,  on  receiving 
a  letter  from  his  distant  home,  were  to  busy  himself 
in  turning  it  about  without  opening  it;  saying,  "I 
must  investigate  this  post-mark,  which  seems  to  be 
somewhat  indistinct.  It  would  appear  that  various 
kinds  of  ink  were  used  in  the  superscription.  If  my 
father  wrote  this  letter,  how  is  it  that  he  addresses  it 
to  the  Borough  of  Manhattan  rather  than  to  New 
York  as  in  his  former  communications  ?"  Will  a  man 
vex  his  soul  with  such  trivial  considerations  when  he 


THE    FINDING    OF     AN    OLD    BOOK.  247 

knows  not  what  message  of  weal  or  woe  is  written 
within  ?  Oh,  friends,  we  have  studied  about  the 
Bible  long  enough!  In  the  name  of  the  good  Father 
who  has  given  us  the  Book,  let  us  open  it  and  discover 
what  weighty  message  he  sends  us. 

4.  The  Bible  is  lost,  also,  by  Reading  and  Studying 
without  Putting  it  into  Practice.  A  man  may  be 
thoroughly  familiar  with  the  truth  as  here  revealed, 
may  be  a  learned  theologian,  a  Biblical  expert,  and 
yet  an  ungodly  man.  The  miser  is  so  called  because, 
despite  his  accumulated  wealth  he  is  a  miserable 
man.  Our  riches  are  not  measured  by  what  we  have 
but  by  what  we  put  into  circulation  for  our  personal 
benefit  and  that  of  our  fellowmen.  The  more  a  man 
knows  about  the  Bible,  the  less  fortunate  he  is  unless 
he  gets  it  into  the  nerve  and  fiber  of  his  life. 

5.  We  are  in  danger  of  losing  the  Bible,  furthermore, 
by  Substitution.  Jesus  said  of  the  religious  leaders  of 
his  time,  "  Ye  have  made  the  Law  to  be  of  none  effect 
by  your  traditions."  They  had  overlaid  it  by  the 
teachings  of  their  Rabbis  ;  had  allowed  their  Mishna 
and  Gemara  to  supplant  it.  In  like  manner  our 
Catholic  friends  have  belittled  the  Scriptures  by  giv- 
ing equal  value  to  Apocryphal  books,  to  papal  Bulls 
and  manifestoes  and  to  the  teachings  of  the  Church. 
And  there  are  others  who  supplant  the  Scriptures 
with  the  Prayer-book  or  with  Thomas  a  Kempis  or 
"Morning  and  Evening  Meditations,"  or  with  com- 
mentaries and  "  lesson  helps. "  The  Bible  is  a  jealous 
book  ;  it  tolerates  no  rivals.  It  stands  alone  and 
complete.  The  historian  Froude  says  of  John  Bunyan 
that  when  he  was  in  Bedford  Jail  he  had  but  a  single 
book;  but  that,  he  adds,   being  the  Bible,   was  of 


248  THE    FINDING    OF     AN   OLD    BOOK. 

itself  a  liberal  education.  We  may  not  underesti- 
mate the  value  of  other  religious  aids,  but  there  is  a 
profound  significance  in  the  word  "Finis"  at  the 
close  of  the  sacred  volume;  it  means  that  the  Book 
is  in  and  of  itself  a  complete  rule  of  faith  and  practice. 

6.  We  lose  our  Bible,  also,  by  Renunciation.  We  are 
told,  in  some  quarters,  that,  in  order  to  form  a  fair 
and  dispassionate  judgment  as  to  the  value  of  the 
Scriptures,  we  must  give  up  all  prejudice  in  their 
favor  and  view  them  wholly  "as  literature."  Is  this 
true  ?  Shall  I  be  obliged  then  to  surrender  my  love 
for  my  mother  before  I  can  form  a  just  estimate  of 
her  character?  Or,  must  I  give  up  my  loyalty  to  the 
Republic  before  entering  upon  a  consideration  of  the 
principles  of  constitutional  liberty  which  underlie  it? 
Or,  must  I  cease  to  be  a  Christian  before  I  dare 
venture  on  a  consideration  of  the  life  and  character 
and  work  of  Jesus  Christ?  Nay;  a  system  of  criti- 
cism which  makes  such  demands  is  obviously  falla- 
cious. The  Scriptures  are  literature,  indeed,  but 
only  as  the  lightning  is  light.  We  confess  to  a  blessed 
prejudice  in  their  favor  which  we  cannot  give  up. 
There  are  no  compensations  in  criticism  to  warrant 
the  semblance  of  apostasy.  We  are  not  afraid  of  the 
results  of  adverse  criticism ;  but  let  those  who  do  not 
reverence  the  Scriptures  kindle  the  fires  under  them ; 
let  those  who  have  no  vital  prejudice  in  their  behalf 
pour  corrosive  acids  upon  them ;  as  for  us,  we  shall 
expect  to  lose  our  reverence  for  Holy  Writ  when,  for 
any  purpose  whatsoever,  we  waive  or  renounce  our 
loyalty  to  it. 

7.  And  again  the  Bible  is  lost  by  Mutilation.  We  are 
not  at  liberty  to  pick  and  choose  among  its  teach- 


THE   FINDING    OF    AN    OLD    BOOK.  249 

ings.  For  how  shall  we  determine  what  to  keep  and 
what  to  let  go  ?  Shall  we  keep  what  we  like  ?  The 
result  must  be  as  when  Jehoiakim  read  with  pen- 
knife in  hand,  casting  what  displeased  him  into  the 
fire  until  naught  remained.  Or  shall  we  keep  what 
is  approved  by  a  self-constituted  syndicate  of  Biblical 
experts  ?  Unfortunately,  no  two  of  these  "experts" 
are  agreed  as  to  what  should  be  thrown  out.  More- 
over, no  Scripture  is  of  private  interpretation.  The 
book  is  addressed,  in  simple  terms,  not  to  the 
learned  but  to  average  men ;  and  the  search-warrant 
is  in  the  hands  of  all.  Shall  we  keep  the  New  Testa- 
ment, then,  and  allow  the  Old  Testament  to  go  ? 
One  of  the  fundamental  rules  of  evidence  is,  falsus  in 
uno  falsus  in  omnibus.  The  Book  is  its  own  witness 
and  all  portions  rest  on  the  same  authority.  If  the 
witness  be  discredited,  let  him  step  down  and  out. 
If  the  testimony  of  the  Book  is  not  to  be  accepted  in 
full,  how  shall  any  of  its  statements  be  attested  ? 
The  Sermon  on  the  Mount  rests  on  precisely  the  same 
authority  as  the  Mosaic  Law.  The  Creation  of  Man 
and  the  Incarnation  stand  or  fall  together.  The 
Story  of  the  Cross  is  on  the  same  credible  level  as 
the  story  of  the  Serpent  in  the  Wilderness.  Christ 
himself  hypothecated  the  truth  of  his  Resurrection 
on  the  credibility  of  Jonah  in  the  whale's  belly.  I 
know  it  has  been  said  by  some  who  have  accepted 
the  piecemeal  theory  of  inspiration  that  "it  has 
made  the  Bible  a  new  book  to  them;"  and  this  may 
easily  be  believed.  What  we  want,  however,  is  not 
a  new  book  but  a  true  one.  We  want  no  blind  and 
hoppled  guide  for  the  journey  of  life.  And  a  trust- 
worthy book  is  out  of  the  question  unless  we  are 


250  THE    FINDING    OF     AN    OLD    BOOK. 

prepared  to  receive  its  own  testimony  concerning 
itself,  yielding  a  cordial  assent  to  a  Thus  saith  the 
Lord. 

"  This  is  the  Judge  that  ends  the  strife 
Where  wit  and  reason  fail." 

The  loss  of  the  Bible  is  an  inestimable  and  irrepar- 
able loss.  It  is  like  the  going  out  of  the  sun,  leaving 
the  soul  enveloped  in  gloom  and  hopelessness.  How 
is  it  with  us  ?  Have  we  lost  confidence  in  the  Book  ? 
Have  we  been  carried  away  by  the  confused  clamor 
of  its  adversaries  ?  Have  we,  without  due  considera- 
tion, concluded  that  where  there  is  so  much  smoke 
there  must  be  fire  ?  And  are  we  thus  left  to  voyage 
without  chart  or  compass;  to  fight  life's  battle  with 
a  wooden  sword  ?  If  so,  what  shall  be  done  ?  Let 
us  prayerfully  retrace  our  steps,  and  do  as  Josiah  did 
when  his  attention  was  called  to  the  lost  Book:  "It 
came  to  pass  that  when  the  king  had  heard  the  words 
of  the  book  he  rent  his  clothes."  This  was  in  token 
of  sincere  sorrow  and  repentance.  If  we  have  made 
a  mistake  with  reference  to  the  Scriptures,  let  us  be 
frank  to  confess  it. 

"And  the  king  stood  in  his  place  in  the  assembly 
of  the  people  and  made  a  covenant  before  the  Lord 
to  perform  the  words  which  were  written  in  the  book; 
and  they  killed  the  Passover  on  the  fourteenth  day  of 
the  first  month."  If  we  would  recover  our  faith  in 
the  Scriptures,  let  us  also  renew  our  covenant  with 
God.  After  that  we  may  keep  Passover;  not  before, 
since  we  cannot  be  loyal  to  the  Incarnate  Word,  while 
renouncing  the  written  Word  of  God.  It  is  vain  to 
pray  for  the  deepening  of  the  spiritual  life  without  a 
due  regard    for   Scripture,   forasmuch    as    the    Holy 


THE   FINDING    OF     AN    OLD    BOOK.  25 1 

Ghost  works  for  our  sanctification  through  the  Word ; 
as  Christ  himself  intimated  in  his  pontifical  prayer, 
"Sanctify  them  through  thy  truth,  thy  Word  is 
truth."  It  is  vain  to  pray  for  a  revival  of  pure  and 
undefiled  religion  while  discrediting  the  Scriptures; 
since  the  Holy  Spirit  works  in  conviction  and  conver- 
sion by  "the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  which  is  the  word 
of  God."  It  is  vain  to  pray  for  the  success  of  Mis- 
sions, unless  we  have  confidence  in  the  truth  of  God's 
holy  word;  if  the  Bible  be  surrendered,  our  Mission- 
ary Boards  might  as  well  go  out  of  business;  for  the 
Holy  Spirit  works  in  the  great  propaganda  by  the 
power  of  the  Word,  as  it  is  written  "It  shall  not 
return  unto  me  void,  but  it  shall  accomplish  that 
which  I  please  and  prosper  in  the  thing  whereto  I 
sent  it." 

Having  repented  of  our  fault  and  renewed  our 
covenant  with  the  Author  of  the  Book,  let  us  follow 
still  further  the  example  of  Josiah,  who  adjusted  his 
subsequent  reign  to  the  words  that  were  written  in  it. 
Our  Lord  well  knew  the  necessities  of  our  Spiritual 
life  when  he  said,  "  Search  the  Scriptures  for  in 
them  ye  think  ye  have  eternal  life  and  these  are  they 
which  testify  of  me."  Let  us  cease  to  consort  openly 
or  by  secret  sympathy  with  those  who  assail  the 
divine  veracity,  and  let  us  open  our  hearts  to  the 
revelation  of  our  Father's  will. 

A  blind  girl,  whose  Bible  was  printed  in  raised 
characters,  found  that  by  manual  labor  her  finger  tips 
had  become  so  callous  that  she  could  no  longer  read 
it.  She  held  it  affectionately  in  her  hands,  saying, 
"Farewell,  dear  Book!  Thou  hast  been  my  strengh 
and  comfort,  but  I  must  let  thee  go."    And  tearfully 


252  THE    FINDING    OF     AN   OLD    BOOK. 

printing  a  last  fond  kiss  upon  the  Book,  she  read  with 
her  sensitive  lips,  "The  Gospel  according  to  St. 
Luke,"  and,  behold,  her  Bible  had  comeback  to  her! 
Dear  friends,  the  lips  are  ever  more  sensitive  than 
the  fingers  to  spiritual  truth.  The  heart  has  a  power 
of  discernment  which  the  eyes  have  not,  and  love 
goes  deeper  than  reason.  It  is  lack  of  love  that  leads 
us  astray  at  every  point  in  our  religion.  Let  us, 
therefore,  open  our  hearts  to  Revelation,  welcoming 
its  light  and  power.  "O,  how  love  I  thy  Law!  It 
is  sweeter  than  honey  and  the  honey-comb.  I  have 
inclined  my  heart  to  perform  thy  statutes  alway,  even 
unto  the  end." 


THE  UNPARDONABLE    SIN 

"There  is  a  sin  unto  death." — i  John,  5, 16. 

If  there  is  a  sin  which  carries  the  soul  beyond  the 
reach  of  mercy,  it  behoves  us  to  inform  ourselves 
about  it.  The  common  view,  which  is  quite  incor- 
rect, has  led  to  much  morbid  introspection  and 
reduced  many  to  a  state  of  religious  melancholia.  -1^ 
k^ie-w-of .  such  aji'''o««' in  thie' asylum  to-day ,.-e4tti»g 
with  his  head  in  his  hands,  a  wild  light  in  his  eyes, 
given  over  to  utter  despair  under  the  conviction  that 
God  has  forsaken  him.  ,,      ,       ,  ^ ,; 

Ft— is- in  order  to  inquire  at  the  outlet  if  there  is 
any  such  thing  as  an  "  unpardonable  sin."  Here  the 
Scriptures  speak  with  no  uncertain  sound;  "  There  is 
a  sin  unto  death.''  It  is  referred  to  particularly  in  four 
passages:  Luke  x«~  lo:  '"''  And  whosoever  shall  speak  a 
word  against  the  So?i  of  Man,  it  shall  be  forgiven  him  :  but 
unto  him  that  blasphemeth  against  the  Holy  Ghost  it  shall 
not  be  forgiven  "  (The  reference  here  is  to  a  profane  and 
violent  defamation  of  the  Spirit  of  God) ; — Matthew 
xii,  31,  32;  "  Wherefore  I  say  unto  you,  All  manner  of 
sin  and  blasphemy  shall  be  forgiven  unto  men;  but  the  blas- 
phemy against  the  Holy  Ghost  shall  not  be  forgiven  unto 
men.  And  whosoever  speaketh  a  word  against  the  Son  of 
Man,  it  shall  be  forgiven  him:  but  whosoever  speaketh 
against  the  Holy  Ghost ^  it  shall  not  be  forgiven  him,  neither 

<9S3) 


-^pY 


254  THE     UNPARDONABLE    SIN. 

tn  this  world,  neither  in  the  world  to  come "  (This  is 
explained  in  the  context;  the  Pharisees  had  referred 
the  miracles  of  Jesus,  which  were  wrought  by  the 
divine  Spirit  within  him,  to  the  influence  of  devils); 
— Hebrews  vi,  4-6 :  "  J^or  it  is  impossible  for  those  who 
were  once  enlightened,  and  have  tasted  of  the  heavenly  gift, 
and  were  made  partakers  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  have 
tasted  the  good  word  of  God,  and  the  powers  of  the  world 
to  come,  if  they  shall  fall  away,  to  renew  them  again  unto 
repentance :  seeing  they  crucify  to  themselves  the  Son  of 
God  afresh,  and  put  him  to  an  opefi  shame"  (Observe  the 
sin  of  apostacy  here  indicated,  is  set  forth  specifically 
as  an  offense  against  the  Spirit  of  God) ; — i  John  v,  16, 
from  which  our  text  is  taken:  "7/"  any  man  see  his 
brother  sin  a  sin  which  is  not  unto  death,  he  shall  ask,  and  he 
shall  give  him  life  for  them  that  sin  not  unto  death.  There 
is  a  sin  unto  death  :  I  do  not  say  that  he  shall  pray  for  it. " 

I.  It  should  be  noted  at  the  outset  that  all  sin 
whatsoever,  of  every  form  and  measure,  is  abhorrent  to 
God.  It  is  the  one  thing  in  the  universe  which  God 
hates  and  which  should  therefore  be  hateful  to  those 
who  are  created  in  his  likeness.  Its  inevitable  result 
is  alienation  from  him.  The  full  measure  of  this 
penalty  was  represented  in  the -elimaeteric  hour -of 
the  passion  of  Christ  when,  standing  as  our  substi- 
tute before  the  bar  of  offended  justice,  he  passed  into 
momentary  exile,  crying,  "My  God,  my  God,  why 
hast  thou  forsaken  me!"  That  which  he,  as  the 
Infinite  One,  endured  for  a  moment  in  our  behalf, 
must  be  of  infinite  duration  in  the  case  of  the  obdti-z/.^y*^ 
fate  sinner. 

A  good  deal  is  being  said  just  now,  pro  and  C4tntm, 
about  the  dogtrine  of  eternal  punishment;  and,  what- 


THE     UNPARDONABLE    SIN.  255 

ever  else  may  be  in  doubt,  it  is  quite  clear  that 
nobody  likes  to  believe  it.  That,  however,  has 
nothing  to  do  with  the  merits  of  the  question.  What 
we  wish  to  know  is  whether  the  doctrine  is  true  or 
not.  And  that  must  be  determined  by  the  Scriptures. 
What  have  they  to  say  about  it  ?  If  a  man  does  not 
believe  the  Bible,  he  may  adopt  whatever  view  he 
chooses;  but  as  for  us  a  Thus  saith  the  Lord  is  ulti- 
mate. The  Scriptures  say,  "There  is  a  great  gulf 
fixed  so  that  they  which  would  pass  from  hence  can- 
not "  (Luke  xvi,  26).  And  again,  thi=iee  repeated, 
"  Where  their  worm  dieth  not  and  the  fire  is  not 
quenched"  (Matt,  ix,  44,  45,  48).  The  words  used 
to  characterize  the  duration  of  punishment  are  ^ixion- 
ton  a/zyyfl»«~'f -tibat-4»^  "forever  and  ever."  The  testi- 
mony of  the  Scriptures  in  such  passages  is  unmis- 
takable and,  as  believers  in  the  divine  word,  we  are 
bound  to  receive  it. 

II.  The  second  fact  of  importance  in  this  con- 
nection is  that  there  are  Degrees  of  Sin.  The  Rabbis 
in  the  time  of  Jesus  were  accustomed  to  make  a  dis- 
tinction between  the  precepts  of  the  Moral  Law.  The 
greatest  commandment,  they  said,  was  that  which 
was  written  on  their  phylacteries:  "Hear,  O  Israel, 
the  Lord  our  God  is  one  Lord;  and  thou  shalt  love 
the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart  and  with  all  thy 
soul  and  with  all  thy  might  ";  and  there  was  a  gen- 
eral agreement,  also,  that  the  least  commandment 
was  that  in  Deuteronomy  xsyj;  '6,  referring  to  the 
robbing  of  a  bird's  nest. 

The  distinction  is  valid,  in  general  terms.  If  so, 
it  follows  that  there  are  degrees  of  guilt  in  the 
violation    of  this    precept.       There   is  truth   in    the 


256  THE     UNPARDONABLE    SIN. 

saying,  "It  is  a  sin  to  steal  a  pin,"  but  it  is  obvi- 
ously a  greater  sin  to  steal  a  purse  or  an  inheritance. 
It  was  a  sin  for  the  rich  farmer  to  take  away  the 
ewe  lamb  of  his  humble  neighbor,  but  it  was  a 
far  greater  for  David  to  rob  Uriah  of  his  wife.  In 
every  court  of  justice  such  distinctions  are  made  as 
grand  larceny  and  petty  larceny,  murder  and  man- 
slaughter: and  corresponding  penalties  are  inflicted. 
Much  depends  on  the  motive  and  much  on  circum- 
stance. The  bell-ringer  of  Saint  Germain  who,  in 
1572,  gave  the  signal  for  the  massacre  of  St.  Bar- 
tholomew was  not  without  guilt;  but  the  captain  of 
the  Royal  Guard,  who  in  the  street  below  led  the 
assault  upon  the  innocent  Huguenots,  was  guiltier 
still.  What,  then,  shall  be  said  of  King  Charles  who, 
standing  in  the  balcony  of  th"^ 'lioUVre  on  that  fate- 
ful night,  with  arquebuse  in  hand,  looked  down  upon 
the  scene  of  carnage  crying,  "Kill!  kill!  "  Did  he 
not  drink  the  cup  of  blood-guiltiness  to  its  dregs  ? 
No;  a  greater  sinner  still  was  "God's  vicar  "at  Rome 
who  signed  the  death-warrant,  and  who,  when  the 
bloody  deed  was  accomplished,  struck  off  a  memorial 
coin  bearing  on  one  side  his  own  name  and  on  the 
other,  Strages  Ugonottorum.  If  punishment  is  to  be 
measured  by  guilt,  then  his  Holiness  was  the  arch- 
malefactor  in  that  historic  tragedy.  And  the  harvest 
is  ever  according  to  the  seed-sowing.  Thus  Jesus 
said,  "The  servant  which  knew  his  lord's  will,  and 
prepared  not  himself,  neither  did  according  to  his 
will,  shall  be  beaten  with  many  stripes ;  but  he  that 
knew  not,  and  did  not  commit  things  worthy  of 
stripes,  shall  be  beaten  with  few  stripes  "  (Luke  xii, 

47). 


THE     UNPARDONABLE    SIN.  257 

III.  Still  another  fact  to  be  considered  is  that  all 
sins  whatsoever  are  pardonable.  This  is  the  meaning 
of  the  cross:  "the  Son  of  Man  hath  power  on  earth 
to  forgive  sin. "  He  is  able  to  save  unto  the  uttermost 
all  that  will  come  unto  him.  Unto  the  uttermost! 
No  sin  is  beyond  the  reach  of  his  pardoning  grace. 
Sins  that  are  scarlet  are  made  white  as  snow.  The 
penitent  thief  who  had  passed  his  life  in  deeds  of 
violence  was  pardoned  in  articulo  mortis.  Tlre'Magda- 
lene,  from  whom  all  pure  women  drew  aside  their  gar- 
ments, came  to  Jesus  in  contrition,  and  he  forgave  her 
all.  Peter  denied  his  Lord  thrice,  with  a  bitter  curse, 
saying,  "  I  know  not  the  man!"  and  he  went  out  and 
wept  bitterly;  and  Christ  restored  him.  Judas — 
alas!  had  Judas  but  known  the  infinitude  of  divine 
grace,  his  shame  would  not  have  led  him  to  remorse, 
his  grief  would  not  have  driven  him  to  despair.  In- 
stead of  rushing  unforgiven  into  eternity  through 
the  dark  gate  of  suicide,  he  might  have  thrown  him- 
self, with  abandon  of  faith,  upon  the  bosom  of  a 
gracious  God.  He  is  a  great  Forgiven  There  is 
blood  enough  in  the  fountain,  which  he  has  opened 
for  uncleanness,  to  wash  away  the  sins  of  the  guiltiest 
and  most  desperate.  He  blots  them  out  as  a  hot 
stylus  erases  the  inscription  on  a  tablet  of  wax.  He 
removes  them  from  us  "as  far  as  the  East  is  from 
the  West. "  He  casts  them  behind  his  back.  He  sinks 
them  in  oblivion ;  he  remembers  them  no  more 
against  us. 

All  this  on  the  sole  condition  of  faith.  Faith  is 
necessary,  as  the  stretching  forth  of  the  hand  to  re- 
ceive a  proffered  gift.  Free  as  water  is  God's  grace; 
but  we  must  dip  it  up.     Free  as  air,  we  must  breathe 


258  THE    UNPARDONABLE    SIN. 

it.  "As  Moses  lifted  up  the  serpent  in  the  wilder- 
ness, even  so  must  the  Son  of  Man  be  lifted  up  that 
whosoever  believeth  in  him  should  not  perish,  but 
have  eternal  life."  He  that  looked  upon  the  brazen 
effigy  in  the  wilderness  was  healed  by  it;  to  refuse  to 
look  was  to  die.  The  deepest  longing  of  the  human 
soul  is  for  deliverance  from  sin:  "What  shall  I  do 
to  be  saved?"  The  answer,  given  variously  in  many 
passages  of  Scripture,  is  ever  the  same  in  its  last 
reduction:  "He  that  believeth  shall  be  saved," 
Look  and  live ! 

IV.  Nevertheless^  there  is  one  sin  which  is  unpardonable, 
in  the  necessity  of  the  case.  This  statement  is  not 
so  paradoxical  as  it  seems.  It  is  quite  consistent 
with  what  we  have  been  saying,  as  will  appear  from 
the  following  facts: 

(i)  The  natural  heart  is  biased  against  the  truth  and 
goodness.  It  matters  not  whether  the  occasion  of  this 
bias  be  referred  to  the  Fall  or  to  Heredity;  the  fact 
itself  is  indisputable;  and  every  man  is  sensible  of  it, 
The  virus  is  in  our  blood :  and,  alas,  we  would  not  have- 
it  otherwise.  We  prefer  to  sin.  No  sin  was  ever  yet 
committed  except  by  preference,  else  it  would  not  be 
sinful.  No  man  can  lay  his  finger  on  any  guilty 
thing  in  his  life  of  which  he  may  not  say,  "  I  might 
have  avoided  it."  This  means  that  we  are  inclined 
toward  sin.     We  are  handicapped  by  our  love  for  it. 

(2)  But  this  cannot  be  offered  in  extenuation  of 
o«x_guilt,  since  it  /j'  offset  by  the  influence  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  The  good  God  has  not  left  us  to  ourselves, 
but  has  put  us  under  the  power  of  his  Spirit  who 
continually  strives  with  us.  He  points  us  to 
righteousness,   enabling   us    to  distinguish   between 


THE    UNPARDONABLE  SIN.  259 

right  and  wrong.  He  warns,  remonstrates,  per- 
suades and  urges  us  to  avoid  evil  and  do  good.  And 
when  we  sin,  the  Spirit  exercises  his  most  important 
function  in  offering  us  the  benefit  of  pardoning  grace. 
He  puts  us  in  remembrance  of  the  things  that  Jesus 
said  and  did  in  our  behalf.  He  stands  ever  ready  to 
apply  to  our  sinful  souls  the  power  of  the  atoning 
blood. 

(3)  But  a  man  may  harden  his  heart  against  the  Holy 
Ghost;  and  he  who  does  this  effectually  is  guilty  of  the  un- 
pardonable sin.  There  are  three  steps  to  death :  One  of 
them  is  referred  to  in  Ephesians  iv,  30:  "  Grieve  not 
the  Holy  Spirit  of  God ;"  as  when  wayward  children 
grieve  a  loving  mother.  The  second  step  downward 
was  indicated  by  Stephen,  in  his  address  to  the  San- 
hedrin:  "  Ye  stiffnecked  and  uncircumcised  in  heart 
and  ears,  ye  do  always  resist  the  Holy  Ghost;  as 
your  fathers  did,  so  do  ye."  We  thus  resist  when  we 
refuse  to  hear  the  Spirit's  warnings  and  admonitions. 
The  third  and  final  step  is  designated  in  i  Thessa- 
lonians  v,  19;  "Quench  not  the  Spirit."  A  spark 
may  be  quenched  in  more  ways  than  one.  It  may 
be  stamped  out,  smothered  or  merely  left  to  die. 
The  Holy  Ghost  may  be  effectually  repelled  by  an 
impious  affront  like  that  of  the  Pharisees  when  they 
referred  his  work  to  Beelzebub ;  or  his  voice  may  be 
drovrned  in  the  confusion  of  Vanity  Fair;  or  he  may 
sadly  take  his  departure  after  years  of  persistent 
neglect  and  inattention.  Let  the  spark  alone,  and  it 
will  die;  and  with  it,  hope  goes  out  forever.  U^ ^^   '^^ 

It  -appears.,  then  that  the  unpardonable  sin  is  the 
ultimate  rejection  of  Christ  as  he  is  offered  to  the  soul  by  the 
Spirit  of  God.     While  all  sins  are  pardonable,  it   is 


26o  THE     UNPARDONABLE    SIN. 

obvious  that  the  rejection  of  pardon  is  beyond  remedy. 
It  is  the  closing  by  the  soul  itself  of  the  only  door 
into  eternal  life. 

Our  Lord  refers  to  this  sin  of  sins  in  his  Parable 
of  the  Vineyard:  "  A  certain  man  planted  a  vineyard 
and  hedged  it  round  about,  and  digged  a  wine  press 
in  it,  and  built  a  tower,  and  let  it  out  to  husband- 
men, and  went  into  a  far  country;  and  when  the 
time  of  fruit  drew  near,  he  sent  his  servants  to  the 
husbandmen  that  they  might  receive  the  fruits  of  it. 
And  they  took  his  servants  and  beat  one  and  killed 
another  and  stoned  another;  and  he  sent  yet  other 
servants  and  they  did  likewise  unto  them.  But  last 
of  all  he  sent  his  Son  saying,  '  They  will  reverence 
him.'  But  when  the  husbandmen  saw  the  Son,  they 
said  among  themselves,  'This  is  the  heir;  come,  let 
us  kill  him ;  '  and  they  caught  him  and  cast  him  out 
of  the  vineyard  and  slew  him.  When  the  lord  there- 
fore of  the  vineyard  cometh,  what  will  he  do  unto 
those  husbandmen?  He  will  miserably  destroy  those 
wicked  men  "  (Matt,  xxi,  33-41). 

The  consideration  of  this  subject  is  full  of  com- 
fort: since  it  is  quite  safe  to  say  to  all  who  are  sin- 
cerely concerned  about  the  matter.  You  have  not  com- 
mitted the  unpardonable  sin.  How  may  this  be  known? 
The  interest  of  a  man  in  his  own  welfare  is  proof 
positive  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  still  striving  with  him. 
One  who  has  really  committed  the  unpardonable  sin 
is  spiritually  dead.  He  cares  nothing  for  God's  word 
of  grace;  he  sins  without  compunction  and  without 
fear  of  the  consequences.  A  man  whose  spiritual 
eyes  are  still  open,  whose  heart  beats,  whose  con- 
science is  not  seared  as  with  an  hot  iron,  who  scru- 


THE   UNPARDONABLE  SIN.  26 1 

pies  to  sin  and  longs  for  pardon,  may  rest  assured 
that  he  is  still  on  mercy's  ground.  The  Spirit  is  striv- 
ing with  him;  and  while  there's  life  there's  hope. 

But  we  cannot  dismiss  this  subject  without  an 
earnest  word  of  caution.  It  is  ever  dangerous  to 
trifle  with  God.  Few  are  the  souls  that  mean  to  die. 
Men  die  by  default;  they  trifle  with  their  destiny; 
they  wear  out  the  divine  patience  by  reckless  pro- 
crastination. They  put  away  the  overtures  of  divine 
mercy,  day  by  day  and  year  by  year,  until  their  hearts 
are  hardened  and  their  consciences  seared;  they  con- 
gratulate themselves  because  now  they  can  sin  with- 
out scruple  and  have  no  more  fearful  looking-for  of 
judgment.  Let  them  take  heed ;  this  is  the  crossing 
of  the  danger-line.  ^,j,^^^  .^^  ^,j,  ^ 

^fyeuT^myfrrenci^  were  a  prisoner  in  the  besieged 
town  of~-Mtrfeki«g  and  were  informed  of  a  secret 
gate  leading  to  freedom,  how  long  would  you  hesi- 
tate to  take  advantage  of  it  ?  We  are  shut  up  in  the 
City  of  Doom ;  and  there  is  one  gate  only  to  safety. 
The  voice  of  the  Spirit  calls,  "  Escape  for  your  life!  " 
How  long  will  you  tarry  ?  l~|mt-)fO«-in-f€membrance 
2^t4f  the  word  which  is  written,  "  Seek  ye  the  Lord 
while  he  may  be  found,  call  ye  upon  him  while  he  is 
near.  Let  the  wicked  forsake  his  way,  and  the 
unrighteous  man  his  thoughts:  and  let  him  return 
unto  the  Lord,  and  he  will  have  mercy  upon  him: 
and  to  our  God,  for  he  will  abundantly  pardon." 
There  is  no  time  to  lose.  Grieve  not  the  Spirit; 
resist  not  the  Spirit ;  quench  not  the  Spirit.  To-day 
is  yours ;  to-morrow  is  God's. 


AQUILA  AND  PRISCILLA 

"  Greet  Priscilla  and  Aquila  my  helpers  in  Christ  Jesus."— Ro«i.  i6,  3. 

The  persons  here  referred  to  were  Jews,  natives  of 
Pontus,  belonging  to  the  mercantile  class  and  well- 
to-do.  Tradition  says  that  in  the  year  33  they  came 
up  to  Jerusalem  with  other  pilgrims  and  were  among 
those  "dwellers  in  Pontus"  who  witnessed  the  effusion 
of  the  Spirit.  If  so,  they  heard  the  address  of  Peter 
in  which  he  set  forth  the  saving  power  of  the  Cross 
and  the  perpetual  presence  and  influence  of  the  risen 
Christ.  It  was  with  such  impressions  upon  their 
minds  that  they  returned  from  the  feast ;  and  doubt- 
less, as  years  passed,  they  spake  often  one  with 
another  of  this  gospel  of  life. 

In  54  A.  D. ,  they  were  pursuing  their  trade  as  tent- 
makers  at  Corinth,  whither  they  had  come  in  pur- 
suance of  a  recent  edict  of  the  Emperor  against  the 
Jews  (Acts  18,  1-3).  It  chanced  that,  at  this  time,  a 
journeyman  tent-maker,  weak-eyed  and  stoop-shoul- 
dered, who  was  also  a  philosopher  and  dialectician, 
and  an  itinerant  preacher  of  the  Gospel,  while  seek- 
ing work  in  Antioch,  found  his  way  to  Aquila's  shop. 
As  he  plied  the  needle,  he  related  to  his  fellow-work- 
men the  wonderful  story  of  his  conversion  and 
explained  the  good  news.     It  was  the  same  gospel 

(262) 


AQUILA    AND    PRISCILLA.  263 

which  Aquila  and  Priscilla  had  heard  twenty-one 
years  before  at  the  Feast  of  Pentecost  in  Jerusalem: 
and  they  welcomed  it  gladly  and  were  known  thence- 
forth as  followers  of  Christ. 

A  year  later  they  were  at  Ephesus  (Acts  r8,  24-26). 
A  learned  Jew  of  Alexandria,  named  Apollos,  had 
come  to  the  city  and,  being  eloquent  and  mighty  in 
the  Scriptures,  "was  teaching  diligently  of  the 
things  of  the  Lord,  knowing  only  the  baptism  of 
John."  In  other  words  he  perceived  that  the  times 
were  out  of  joint  and  anticipated  the  coming  of  the 
kingdom ;  but  the  larger  truths  of  the  Gospel  were 
as  yet  unknown  to  him.  In  some  manner  he  came 
under  the  influence  of  Aquila  and  Priscilla,  and 
"they  expounded  unto  him  the  way  of  God  more 
perfectly."  This  tent  makers'  shop  appears  to  have 
been  the  first  Theological  Seminary  of  the  Christian 
Church:  primitive,  indeed,  yet  it  may  be  doubted 
whether  in  all  the  world  there  was  another  insti- 
tution of  learning  where  the  truth  was  more  pro- 
foundly or  comprehensively  taught.  Not  Zeno's 
Painted  Porch,  nor  Plato's  Academy,  nor  Gamaliel's 
school  at  Jerusalem  could  have  so  well  equipped 
Apollos  for  his  work  as  an  evangelist. 

In  the  year  59  the  tentmakers  had  drifted  to 
Philippi  (i  Cor.  16,  19).  Mention  is  now  made  of 
"  the  church  that  is  in  their  house."  This  probably 
means  no  more  than  that,  at  stated  times,  the  fol- 
lowers of  Christ  met  and  worshipped  together  at 
their  family  altar:  nevertheless  the  domestic  circle 
is  thus  invested  with  a  peculiar  sanctity,  as  the 
germ  of  that  great  organism  which  we  call  the 
Christian  Church. 


264  AQUILA    AND   PRISCILLA. 

A  year  later  they  were  at  Rome  (Rom.  16,  3-5). 
It  would  appear  that  they  had  been  involved  in  some 
sort  of  persecution,  from  which  they  had  rescued 
Paul  at  the  peril  of  their  lives.  And  again  mention 
is  made  of  "the  church  that  is  in  their  house."  A 
strange  contrast  this  to  St.  Peter's  in  the  Rome  of 
to-day!  That  humble  church  in  the  tentmakers' 
house  had  no  tiaraed  Pope,  no  imposing  College  of 
Cardinals,  no  elaborate  paraphernalia  of  worship ;  yet 
great  was  God's  blessing  upon  it. 

The  last  mention  of  Aquila  and  Priscilla  finds 
them  back  at  Ephesus  in  the  year  66  (2  Tim.  4,  19). 
There  is  a  tradition  that  on  the  8th  of  July — the  day 
set  apart  for  them  in  the  martyrology  of  the  Romish 
Church — the  faithful  couple  were  led  out  beyond  the 
walls  and  beheaded.  It  is  easy  to  fill  in  the  details 
of  the  pathetic  picture ;  each  looked  at  the  other  with 
eyes  full  of  love,  as  if  to  say,  "  Farewell;  fear  not!  " 
There  was  a  flash  of  the  blade,  and  they  were  at  home 
with  God. 

T/ie  story  of  Aquila  and  Priscilla  is  a  beautiful  idyl  of 
home-life.  The  religion  of  Christ  is  singular  in  the 
emphasis  which  it  puts  upon  the  privileges  and 
responsibilities  of  the  domestic  sphere.  It  is  written 
that  when  Sayka-Muni  had  discovered  the  Great 
Truth,  and  had  determined  to  devote  himself  to  its 
propagation,  he  came  to  his  home  in  the  night-time 
and,  finding  his  wife  asleep,  with  her  infant  beside 
her,  he  softly  kissed  her,  said  farewell  and  went  his 
way.  This  was  Mahabanish  kramana,  "The  Great 
Renunciation."  He  saw  his  home  thenceforth  no 
more,  but,  sitting  under  the  sacred  Bo-tree,  gave 
himself  to  meditation,  losing  himself  in  contempla- 


AQUILA    AND    PRISCILLA.  265 

don  of  the  Ineffable  One.  How  striking  the  con- 
trast between  this  and  the  life  of  Jesus!  At  the  home 
in  Nazareth,  he  was  "  subject  unto  his  parents";  at 
the  home  in  Bethany  he  found  rest  and  comfort 
during  the  troubled  years  of  his  ministry;  at  the 
home  in  Cana  he  laid  his  benediction  upon  the 
delights  of  social  life;  and  when  he  would  portray 
the  glories  of  heaven,  he  spoke  not  of  a  city,  nor  of 
a  better  country,  nor  of  a  garden  of  delights,  but  of 
home,  sweet  home.  "In  my  Father's  house  are 
many  mansions,  if  it  were  not  so  I  would  have  told 
you;  I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you." 

Here  is  a  pleasant  picture  also  of  wedded  love.  Aquila 
and  Priscilla  are  always  named  together,  as  if  they 
were  inseparable;  but,  singularly,  the  order  varies, 
suggesting  that  there  was  no  strife  for  the  preemi- 
nence. It  reminds  us  of  what  Jeremy  Taylor  said; 
"  When  God  created  woman,  he  made  her  not  out  of 
Adam's  head,  as  if  she  were  to  rule  over  him;  nor 
out  of  his  feet,  as  if  he  were  to  rule  over  her;  but 
from  his  side,  close  by  his  heart,  because  he  should 
ever  love  and  honor  and  protect  her." 

In  these  days  of  loose  thinking  and  looser  living 
in  these  premises,  it  is  well  to  emphasize  the  fact  that 
wedlock  is  a  divine  ordinance.  It  is  not  a  sacrament; 
wherever  so  regarded,  as  among  all  the  Latin  nations, 
immorality  prevails.  But  this  union  was  ordained  of 
God  in  the  time  of  man's  innocency,  "  It  is  not 
good,"  he  said,  "  for  man  to  be  alone";  wherefore 
he  made  woman  to  be  his  helpmeet.  The  generic 
man,  the  social  unit,  is  not  one  but  two  in  one;  as  it 
is  written,  "  Male  and  female  created  he  them,  and 
blessed  them,  and  called  their  name  Adam  "(Gen.  5,  2). 


266  AQUILA    AND    PRISCILLA! 

This  union  is,  further,  pronounced  to  be  '■'■honor- 
able in  all.''  A  Scotch  girl  to  whom  her  minister  had 
said,  "Janet,  it  is  a  very  serious  thing  to  be 
married,"  answered  without  hesitation,  "Aye,  min- 
ister, I  ken  it  is  a  serious  thing  to  be  married,  but  it 
is  more  serious  no'  to  be."  The  eloquent  humor  of 
the  canny  lass  was  quite  eclipsed  by  her  philosophy. 
There  is  such  a  thing  as  "single  blessedness  ";  but 
it  stands  as  the  exception  and  not  the  rule.  Blessed- 
ness is  a  path  for  two.  It  has  been  truly  said  of  wed- 
lock, "  It  halves  our  sorrows  and  doubles  our  joys." 

But  there  are  two  conditions  affixed  to  an  ideal  tnar- 
riage  :  One  is  mutual  love.  There  is  no  place  in  the 
divine  economy  for  a  "marriage  of  convenience." 
It  is  a  perversion  of  the  order  of  nature  and  a  trav- 
esty on  the  ordinance  of  God.  You  may  carpet  your 
floors  with  softest  velvet,  cover  your  walls  with  rich- 
est tapestries,  fill  the  atmosphere  with  music  of  harp 
and  dulcimer  and  spread  your  table  with  all  rare  and 
delicate  viands;  but  if  love  be  wanting  your  home 
will  be  no  better  than  a  lodge  in  a  garden  of  cucum- 
bers. On  the  other  hand,  the  nearest  approach  to 
heaven  is  "love  in  a  cottage."  The  hail  may  rattle 
on  the  roof,  the  snow  sift  under  the  eaves,  the  grate 
be  cold  and  the  larder  empty ;  the  wolf  may  howl  at  the 
door,  the  King  of  Terrors  himself  may  stand  beckoning 
at  the  threshold,  but  if  love  abides  within,  all's  well. 

A  man  in  public  life,  well-known  and  distinguished 
among  our  law-makers,  whose  domestic  establish- 
ment is  a  proverb  for  hospitality  and  whose  wife  is  a 
recognized  leader  in  society,  recently  said,  "Our 
hearts  go  back  longingly  to  the  time  when  we  lived 
in  a  home  of  two  rooms,  practicing  petty  economies 


AQUILA   AND  PRISCILLA.  267 

to  make  both  ends  meet ;  when  we  were  apart  from 
the  world  and  alone  with  each  other;  those  were  our 
happiest  days." 

Love  is  better  than  beauty  or  wit; 
Love  is  better  than  gold; 
For  love  is  not  found  in  the  marketplace; 
Love  is  not  bought  and  sold. 

The  other  condition  of  ideal  happiness  is  to  be 
joined  in  the  Lord.  It  has  been  wisely  said,  **  Be 
not  unequally  yoked  together"  (2  Cor.  6,  14).  This 
is  an  old-fashioned  precept ;  but  its  wisdom  is  certi- 
fied by  the  sorrow  of  many  lives.  It  is  obvious  that 
when  husband  and  wife  are  at  odds  concerning  the 
fundamental  facts  of  religion  they  are  not  "united 
as  one."  A  Christian  thinks  more  of  his  religion 
than  of  anything  else;  it  is  his  meat  and  drink;  it  is 
the  very  air  he  breathes.  The  name  of  his  Saviour  is 
as  ointment  poured  forth,  he  lives  for  Christ,  and  is 
willing  to  die  for  him.  How,  under  such  circum- 
stances, can  one  be  happily  joined  to  another  who  is 
averse  to  such  considerations  or  quite  indifferent  to 
them  ?  The  advice  of  Paul  to  couples  who  are  thus 
matched  but  not  mated  is  found  in  i  Corinthians 
7,  12-17:  but  an  ounce  of  prevention  is  worth  a 
pound  of  cure.  A  duet  of  musical  intruments  is 
impossible  except  as  they  are  keyed  to  the  same  pitch. 
There  are  many  who,  failing  to  remember  this,  have 
married  in  haste  to  repent  at  leisure. 

The  family  altar  is  the  heart  of  the  Christian 
home.  It  is  as  true  now  as  in  the  days  of  Obed- 
edom,  that  God  prospers  the  home  where  the  ark 
abides.  In  the  morning,  when  each  member  of  the 
household  sets  forth  upon  a  day  of  unknown  duties  and 


268  AQUILA    AND    PRISCILLA. 

dangers,  is  it  not  well  to  kneel  together  and  offer  a 
prayer  like  that  of  the  Breton  Mariner,  "  O  Lord,  keep 
me;  my  boat  is  so  little  and  the  ocean  so  wide  "?  At 
eventide,  is  it  not  well  to  invoke  the  protecting  care  of 
God  ?  In  the  hour  of  sorrow,  when  sickness  invades 
the  home,  or  when  there  is  crape  on  the  door,  there 
are  strength  and  comfort  and  hope  in  clasping  hands 
at  the  doorway  of  the  Holiest  of  All.  It  is  a  grave 
responsibility  which  a  father  takes,  who  allows  his 
children  to  grow  up  to  maturity  and  pass  out  into  the 
responsibilities  of  life  without  having  heard  his  voice 
lifted  in  their  behalf  at  the  throne  of  the  heavenly  grace. 
We  glory  in  our  American  homes;  but  before  the 
foundations  of  this  Republic  were  laid,  the  Christian 
home  had  its  place  among  the  Scottish  hills.  "The 
church  in  the  house  "  was  kept  up  at  peril  of  life  and 
confiscation  of  goods,  by  those  who  were  pledged  to 
Christ's  crown  and  covenant.  Very  many  of  our 
lyrics  of  domestic  life  are  of  Scottish  birth.  One  of 
them  is  "The  Cotter's  Saturday  Night."  The  steps 
of  the  weary  worker  are  quickened  as  he  catches 
sight  of  the  light  in  the  window: 

His  wee  bit  ingle,  blinking  bonnily, 

His  clean  liearthstane,  his  thriftie  wifie's  smile. 

The  lisping  infant  prattling  on  his  knee, 
Does  a'  his  weary  carking  cares  beguile, 
And  make's  him  quite  forget  his  labor  and  his  toil. 
*  *  *  * 

The  cheerfu'  supper  done,  wi'  serious  face, 
They,  round  the  ingle,  form  a  circle  wide; 

The  sire  turns  o'er,  wi'  patriarchal  grace. 
The  big  ha'-Bible,  ance  his  father's  pride; 

His  bonnet  reverently  laid  aside, 
His  lyart  haffets  wearing  thin  an'  bare: 


AQUILA    AND    PRISCILLA.  269 

Those  strains  that  once  did  sweet  in  Zion  glide. 
He  wales  a  portion  with  judicious  care; 
And  "  Let  us  worship  God!"  he  says  with  solemn  air. 


From  scenes  like  these  old  Scotia's  grandeur  springs, 
That  makes  her  loved  at  home,  revered  abroad. 

And  another  is  "John  Anderson,  My  Jo."  The 
faithful  wife,  on  whose  cheeks  the  rose  has  faded,  in 
whose  eyes  the  light  is  dim,  looks  up  into  the  face  of 
her  gray-haired  companion  and  sings  with  quavering 
voice : 

"John  Anderson,  my  Jo,  John, 

When  we  were  first  acquent. 
Your  locks  were  like  the  raven; 

Your  bonnie  brow  was  brent; 
But  now  your  brow  is  beld,  John, 

Your  locks  are  like  the  snaw; 
But  blessings  on  your  frosty  pow, 

John  Anderson,  my  Jo! 

"John  Anderson,  my  Jo,  John, 

We  clamb  the  hill  thegither; 
And  mony  a  canty  day,  John, 

We've  had  wi'  ane  anither. 
Now  we  maun  totter  down,  John, 

But  hand  in  hand  we'll  go; 
And  sleep  thegither  at  the  foot, 

John  Anderson,  my  Jo." 

And  another  of  these  home-songs  tells  of  the  Recon- 
ciliation. The  husband  has  quarreled  with  his  gude 
wife  and  speaks  entreatingly : 

Thou  has  sworn  by  thy  God,  my  Jeanie, 
By  that  pretty  white  hand  o'  thine, 
And  by  a'  the  lowing  stars  o'  heaven 
That  thou  wad  aye  be  mine. 


27©  AQUILA    AND    PRISCILLA. 

And  I  hae  sworn  by  my  God,  my  Jeanie, 
And  by  that  kind  heart  o'  thine, 
By  a*  the  stars  sown  thick  o'er  heaven, 
That  thou  shalt  aye  be  mine. 

Then  foul  fa'  the  hands  that  wad  loose  sic  bands 
And  the  heart  that  wad  part  sic  love; 
But  there  is  nae  hand  can  loose  my  band, 
But  the  finger  o*  Him  above. 

Come  here  to  me,  thou  lass  o'  my  love. 
Come  here  and  kneel  wi'  me  : 
The  morn  is  fu'  o'  the  presence  o'  God, 
And  I  canna  pray  without  thee. 

The  Book  maun  be  ta'en  when  the  carle  comes  hame 

Wi'  the  holy  psalmodie  ; 

And  thou  maun  speak  o'  me  to  thy  God, 

And  I  will  speak  o'  thee." 

But  Aquila  and  Priscilla,  husband  and  wife,  were 
also  partners  in  faithful  service.  It  would  appear  that 
they  shared  the  duties  of  their  workshop.  It  is  a  great 
deal  to  say  that  they  were  not  ashamed  of  manual  toil ; 
since,  in  those  days,  it  was  regarded  as  the  business 
of  slaves.  The  life  of  Jesus  as  the  Carpenter  of 
Nazareth  has  done  much  to  reverse  that  judgment, 
though  there  are  still  some  who  deem  it  more  honor- 
able to  live  by  the  sweat  of  their  fathers'  brows  than 
of  their  own.  But  these  tentmakers  of  Pontus  were 
not  ashamed  of  their  craft.  It  is  safe  to  say  more- 
over that  the  product  of  their  labor  was  known  for 
its  excellent  quality.  Theirtents  were  made  of  honest 
goat's-hair,  sewn  with  honest  seams  and  disposed  of  at 
an  honest  price.  The  trade-mark  **  A.  &  P."  would 
mean  much  among  the  dwellers  in  tents  of  those  days. 

But  Aquila  and  Priscilla  did  not  confine  their 
attention   to   handicraft;  they   were    in    the    higher 


AQUILA    AND    PRISCILLA.  27 1 

service  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ.  Though  not  in 
holy  orders,  they  were  faithful  in  the  preaching  of 
the  gospel  and  showed  its  excellency  in  their  walk 
and  conversation.  The  supreme  need  of  our  time  is 
not  more  preachers  but  more  consecrated  laymen; 
more  men  and  women  ready  to  exemplify  their 
religion  in  the  common  duties  of  life. 

It  was  a  goodly  sight  when  the  Crusader  rode 
forth  from  his  walled  castle,  clad  in  chain  armor,  his 
plume  waiving,  banner  flying,  lance  poised,  in  quest 
of  valorous  deeds.  The  world  looked  on  while  he 
strove  in  the  tourney  or  championed  the  weak  and 
helpless  or  fought  for  the  conquest  of  the  Holy  Sep- 
ulcher.  But  it  is  a  grander  sight  before  God  when 
a  man,  with  no  blazonry  or  pomp  or  circumstance, 
addresses  himself,  day  by  day,  to  labor  of  love  and 
patience  of  hope.  Such  an  one  was  Charles  Kingsley 
of  gracious  memory,  of  whom  his  wife  wrote:  "  The 
outside  world  must  judge  him  as  an  author,  a 
preacher,  a  member  of  society,  but  those  only  who 
lived  with  him  in  the  intimacy  of  every-day  life  at 
home  can  tell  what  he  was  as  a  man.  Over  the  real 
romance  of  his  life  and  over  the  tenderest,  love- 
liest passages  in  his  private  letters  a  veil  must 
be  thrown,  but  it  will  not  be  lifting  it  too  far 
to  say  that  if  in  the  highest,  closest  of  earthly 
relationships  a  love  that  never  failed — pure,  patient, 
passionate — for  six-and-thirty  years,  a  love  which 
never  stooped  from  its  own  lofty  level  to  a  hasty 
word,  an  impatient  gesture  or  a  selfish  act,  in  sick- 
ness or  in  health,  in  sunshine  or  in  storm,  by  day  or 
by  night,  could  p^-ove  that  the  age  of  chivalry  has 
not     passed    away    for    ever,   then   Charles   Kings- 


272  AQUILA    AND    PRISCILLA. 

ley  fulfilled  the  ideal  of  a  *  most  true  and  perfect 
knight'  to  the  one  woman  blest  with  that  love 
in  time  and  to  eternity.  To  eternity,  for  such  love  is 
eternal,  and  he  is  not  dead.  He  himself,  the  man,  the 
lover,  husband,  father,  friend — he  still  lives  in  God, 
who  is  not  the  God  of  the  dead,  but  of  the  living." 

Are  such  lives  unnoticed  ?  Nay,  they  are  "com- 
passed about  with  witnesses."  The  galleries  are 
filled!  The  Master  him  self  looks  on;  and  every  word 
that  his  diffident  follower  speaks  in  the  interest  of 
truth  and  righteousness,  every  stretching  forth  of  the 
helping  hand,  every  denial  of  self,  is  recorded  in 
heaven.  It  is  said  that  the  vibration  of  the  atmos- 
phere produced  by  speech  is  so  rapidly  diffused  that 
within  twenty  hours  the  entire  aerial  envelope  of  the 
earth  is  affected  by  it.  Our  life  puts  on  a  serious 
aspect  when  we  pause  to  consider  that  the  very  air 
into  which  we  are  speaking  is  a  vast  auditorium, 
wherein  our  utterances  are  preserved  forever.  This 
puts  an  emphasis  upon  the  precept,  *'  Do  ye  nexte 
thynge. "  Let  us  not  complain  of  the  narrowness  of 
our  sphere,  but  rather  seek  earnestly  to  fill  it.  "  Go 
down  to  thy  house,"  said  Jesus  to  the  man  of  Gadara, 
who,  in  gratitude  for  healing,  desired  to  follow 
Christ  as  a  disciple — "Go  down  to  thy  house  and 
show  what  great  things  the  Lord  hath  done  for  thee, " 
In  memory  of  the  quiet  but  useful  lives  of  the  many 
Aquilas  and  Priscillas  whom  we  have  known,  let  us 
do  with  our  might  whatsoever  our  hands  find  to  do, 
at  home,  in  the  marketplace,  in  the  fellowship  of  the 
evangel;  and  may  the  God  whose  eyes  run  to  and 
fro  through  all  the  earth,  take  knowledge  of  the 
work  of  our  hands  and  establish  it  upon  us. 


''AND  THUS  I  MAKE  MY  PILGRIMAGE" 

A   SERMON   FOR  THE   NEW   YEAR. 
"Ariseand  take  thy  journey."— Deut.  lo,  ii. 

There  is  a  legend  of  an  Oriental  king,  whose  fool 
was  also  his  personal  friend  and  favorite;  and  never 
was  quainter  or  merrier  jester  than  he.  As  a  token 
of  regard  the  king  presented  him  with  a  golden  wand 
and  bells,  saying,  "If  ever  thou  find  a  greater  fool, 
give  this  to  him."  Years  passed  and  the  king  lay  on 
his  dying  bed.  To  his  friend,  the  jester,  he  said,  "  I 
am  going  on  a  long  journey  and  alas,  am  ill  prepared. " 
— "  Is  it  an  unexpected  journey  then?" — "  On  the  con- 
trary, I  have  been  forewarned  these  many  years;  but 
so  engrossing  have  been  the  cares  of  government  and 
pleasures  of  the  court  that  I  have  given  this  matter 
little  or  no  attention. "  Whereupon  the  jester  silently 
handed  him  the  golden  wand.  He  had  found  a 
greater  fool  than  himself,  at  last. 

It  is  the  New  Year's  Eve.  At  midnight  we  shall 
cross  the  river,  whether  we  will  or  not.  There  are 
unknown  tasks  and  responsibilities  before  us.  It  is 
the  part  of  wise  people  to  stop  now  and  think.  Have 
we  made  due  preparation  for  this  journey  ? 

I.  At  the  outset  we  should  have  a  definite  understanding 
as  to  our  destination  and  the  road  thitherward.     Have  you 

(373) 


274  AND    THUS   I    MAKE    MY    PILGRIMAGE. 

formed  a  definite  purpose  for  the  coming  year  ?  Will 
it  content  you  to  retraverse  the  former  path  ?  Is  it 
enough  to  eat  and  drink  and  sleep  and  walk  the  tread- 
mill ?  Do  not  oxen  and  horses  the  same — a  day's 
work  and  a  stint  of  oats  ?  Do  you  aim  at  a  "  compe- 
tence "  ?  There  is  something  to  be  said  for  that.  Or 
is  it  your  purpose  to  enjoy  life?  There  is  something 
to  be  said  for  that,  too.  Or  have  you  set  your  eyes 
on  honor  and  emolument  ?  These  might  answer  for 
a  man  whose  breath  is  in  his  nostrils;  but  obviously 
they  are  beneath  the  aspiration  of  immortals. 

We  live  in  deeds,  not  years:  in  thoughts,  not  breaths; 
In  feelings,  not  in  figures  on  a  dial. 
We  should  count  time  by  heart-throbs.     He  most  lives 
Who  thinks  most,  feels  the  noblest,  acts  the  best. 

The  three  successive  levels  of  a  worthy  life  are 
these:  First,  to  make  the  most  of  one's  self:  neverthe- 
less, mere  self-culture  is  but  a  sublimated  form  of 
selfishness.  The  second  \s\\i^he.r;  namely,  to  do  good 
as  we  have  opportunity  unto  all  men.  He  who 
devotes  himself  to  the  welfare  of  others  is  inadvert- 
antly kindest  to  himself,  ever  feasting  on  "  the  gen- 
erous pleasure  of  kindly  deeds."  Wherefore,  to  do 
good  and  communicate,  forget  not.  But  the  third 
level  is  above  all;  and  as  immortal  men  and  women 
we  should  content  ourselves  with  nothing  lower  than 
the  noblest  and  best.  Emerson  said,  "  Hitch  your 
wagon  to  a  star!  "  If  God  is  the  living  Center  of  the 
universe  he  is  clearly  entitled  to  our  undivided  serv- 
ice. Lady  Huntington,  on  her  way  to  a  court  func- 
tion, called  to  mind  the  question,  "What  is  the  Chief 
End  of  Man,"  and  its  answer,  *' The  Chief  End  of 
Man  is  to  glorify  God";  and  so  deeply  was  she 


**AND   THUS    I    MAKE    MY    PILGRIMAGE.  275 

impressed  with  the  solemnity  of  this  proposition  that, 
then  and  there,  she  consecrated  all  her  energies  to 
God.  There  is,  indeed,  a  transforming  power  in  this 
truth ;  and  no  man  has  fully  "  come  to  himself  "  until 
he  has  apprehended  it. 

II.  The  purpose  of  our  life  being  thus  determined, 
are  we  ready  to  set  forth  upon  the  journey?  Not  yet. 
Not  tcntil  we  have  rid  ourselves  of  certain  impedimenta. 
It  is  the  custom  of  the  Chinese  to  close  the  year  by 
paying  all  honest  debts  and  so  enter  on  the  future 
with  a  clean  balance.  This  is  as  it  should  be.  But 
there  is  one  debt  which  we  shall  find  it  impossible  to 
cancel  in  any  ordinary  way :  namely,  the  debt  incurred 
to  divine  justice  by  our  violation  of  holy  law.  To 
carry  that  over  into  the  New  Year  would  be  like 
dragging  a  ball  and  chain.  But  how  shall  it  be 
paid  ?  To  this  end  Jesus  Christ  came  into  the  world, 
that  by  his  blood  the  handwriting  of  ordinances 
which  was  against  us  might  be  blotted  out.  He 
offers  to  cancel  our  obligation  in  full,  on  the  sole  con- 
dition that  we  believe  in  him.  "  Come  now,  saith 
the  Lord,  let  us  reason  together:  though  your  sins  be 
as  scarlet,  they  shall  be  white  as  snow;  though  they 
be  red  like  crimson,  they  shall  be  as  wool."  This 
done,  we  may  remand  our  sins  to  oblivion,  since  the 
Lord  himself  has  promised  that  he  will  "remember 
them  no  more  against  us." 

Then,  how  about  our  evil  habits  ?  To  cling  to 
these  while  accepting  the  pardon  of  past  sin  would 
be  to  mock  the  heavenly  grace.  It  behoves  us  just 
here  to  cut  loose  from  all  such  bondage.  My  friend, 
disencumber  yourself  to-night.  It  is  a  proverb, 
"Hell  is  paved  with  good  resolutions."     True;  but 


276  "and    thus    I    MAKE    MY    PILGRIMAGE." 

SO  is  heaven.  The  difference  lies  here:  the  paving- 
stones  of  hell  are  resolutions  broken,  while  those  of 
heaven  are  resolutions  kept.  And  the  one  thing 
necessary  in  order  that  you  may  keep  your  resolutions 
is  that  you  shall  make  them  in  prayer  and  with  the 
proviso,  "God  helping  me."  You  are  quite  safe 
while  you  lean  hard  on  God. 

III.  Having  thus  "  laid  aside  every  weight  and  the 
sin  which  doth  so  easily  beset  us,"  are  we  ready  now 
to  set  forth  upon  our  journey  ?  Not  yet.  //  still 
remains  to  provide  ourselves  with  the  pilgrim  s  panoply. 

And  first  of  all,  the  Staff ;  as  Sir  Walter  Raleigh 
says,  "  Give  me  a  staff  of  faith  to  lean  upon."  We 
are  coming  to  steep  hills  and  dreary  stretches  of  wil- 
derness ;  and  we  shall  need  a  strong  staff  to  support 
us.  I  know  of  nothing  that  can  meet  the  necessity 
except  a  living  faith  in  Christ.  Not  a  mere  intellec- 
tual assent  to  historic  facts;  not  a  mere  subscription 
to  dogmas  and  symbols  of  belief:  but  a  vital  appre- 
hension of  Christ  as  the  living  and  life-giving  Son  of 
God.  The  rod  of  Moses  was  only  a  shepherd's 
crook,  so  long  as  nothing  was  required  of  him  but 
the  folding  of  Jethro's  flocks.  But  when  God  called 
him  to  larger  responsibilities  he  transformed  that 
crook  into  a  rod  of  power;  so  that  all  Egypt  was 
filled  with  terror  of  it.  And  a  further  transforma- 
tion still  was  wrought,  when  the  same  rod  was  laid 
by  Moses'  brother  before  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant, 
and,  before  the  eyes  of  the  assembled  people,  it  put 
forth  leaves  and  blossoms  and  fruit.  It  was  endowed 
with  life!  Such  are  the  three  degrees  of  faith:  the 
faith  of  duty,  which  prompts  to  the  dull  drudgery  of 
bondsmen ;  the  faith  of  power^  which  wins  the  com' 


*  'and    thus    I    MAKE    MY    PILGRIMAGE.  277 

mendation,  "Well  done,  good  servant";  and  the  faith 
of  life,  by  which  we  come  into  sonship,  through  a 
vital  communion  with  the  living  Son  of  God,  This 
is  the  faith  by  which  men  say  to  mountains,  "  Be  ve 
torn  up  and  cast  into  the  sea!  " 

Then,  secondly,  the  pilgrim's  Gown;  "the  gown  of 
glory,  hope's  true  gauge."  There  will  be  chilly  days 
in  the  coming  year  and  cold  nights,  when  we  shall 
need  to  gather  it  closely  around  us.  A  hope  worth 
having  is  for  constant  use.  Is  yours  folded  and  laid 
away  in  some  precious  portion  of  Scripture,  as  in  a 
cedar  chest  ?  Put  it  on,  my  friend,  and  wear  it  all 
through  the  coming  year.  We  have  in  Christ  a  com- 
fortable hope,  "  a  hope  that  maketh  not  ashamed." 
A  Christian  has  no  right  to  be  melancholy.  Lift  up 
your  eyes;  the  heavens  are  open  above  you.  We  live 
for  eternity!  Wherefore,  let  us  dream  dreams  and 
see  visions.  Charles  V.,  the  most  powerful  monarch 
of  his  time,  coined  a  medal  to  celebrate  the  triumphs 
of  his  reign,  on  which  were  the  pillars  of  Hercules, 
the  boundaries  of  the  known  world,  and  over  them 
the  legend.  Plus  ultra,  "More  beyond!"  Aye,  ever 
more  beyond!  All  eternity  beyond!  All  heaven 
awaiting  us.  Let  every  crimson  sunset  be  to  us  like 
the  opening  of  the  gates  of  glory.  No  hypochondria 
next  year;  no  doubt  or  despondency.  Hope  on,  hope 
ever!  We  are  living  in  a  good  world  ;  there  is  a  kind 
providence  round  about  us;  and  we  have  heaven  to 
crown  it  all. 

The  third  item  in  the  pilgrim's  equipment  is  a  pair  of 
stout  Sandals.  One  of  them  is  courage;  the  other, 
patience.  These  "wax  not  old."  Toil  and  weari- 
ness await  us;  the  heat  and  burden  of  the  day;  but 


278  "and    thus    I    MAKE    MY    PILGRIMAGE." 

what  of  that,  if  divine  resources  are  at  our  command? 
Some  one  has  said,  "When  a  resolute  fellow  steps 
up  to  that  great  bully,  the  World,  and  takes  him  by 
the  beard,  he  is  often  surprised  to  find  that  it  comes 
off  in  his  hand;  for,  indeed,  it  was  only  put  on  to 
scare  timid  folk."  Resist  the  Devil  and  he  will  flee 
from  you.     Confront  duty,  and  it  will  smile  upon  you. 

"So  nigh  is  glory  to  the  dust, 
So  near  is  God  to  man  ; 
When  Duty  whispers  low,  '  Thou  must !' 
The  youth  replies,  '  I  can  !'  " 

It  is  easier  to  be  courageous,  however,  than  to  be 
patient.  Patience  is  the  shoe  that  pinches:  neverthe- 
less it  is  the  mate  to  courage.  The  secret  of  ultimate 
success  is  "patient  continuance  in  welldoing";  to 
keep  working  when  there  are  no  visible  results;  to 
trudge  on  and  seemingly  to  get  nowhere;  to  march 
the  seventh  time  around  Jericho,  ram's  horn  in  hand, 
with  all  the  people  laughing  from  the  walls, — this  is 
the  hardness  of  life.  But  be  not  weary  in  welldoing. 
Buffon's  motto  is  worth  remembering:  "Hold  on, 
hold  fast,  hold  out!"  Better  still  are  the  words  of 
Paul:  "Be  ye  steadfast,  unmovable,  always  abound- 
ing in  the  work  of  the  Lord,  forasmuch  as  ye  know 
that  your  labor  is  not  in  vain  in  the  Lord." 

The  fourth  and  final  part  of  our  equipment  is  a 
Scrips  or  Wallet  furnished  with  food.  Our  wallet  is 
the  Scripture,  which  we  have  taken  to  be  our  infal- 
lible rule  of  faith  and  practice.  Here  are  great 
truths  to  be  believed.  Accept  them  as  they  are. 
Here  are  moral  precepts,  for  the  resolving  of  doubt 
when  we  stand  at  the  crossroads  of  conduct.  Here 
are  promises,  "exceeding great  and  precious. "    Make 


**AND    THUS   I    MAKE   MY    PILGRIMAGE,"  279 

much  of  the  blessed  Book,  my  friend,  if  you  would 
be  a  faithful  and  effective  Christian.  Live  upon  its 
truths  and  precepts;  eat  and  drink  its  promises.  It 
is  written  that  as  Jacob  journeyed  and  was  weary,  he 
came  at  nightfall  to  a  lonely  place,  where  he  unbound 
his  girdle  and  spread  his  rude  repast  of  dates  and 
parched  corn ;  then  lying  down,  with  his  head  pil- 
lowed upon  a  stone,  he  saw  God's  ladder  reaching 
down  from  heaven,  with  angels  carrying  his  prayers 
upward  and  returning  with  blessings  upon  him.  So, 
when  you  are  weary  with  the  routine  of  duty,  undo 
your  scrip  and  eat  and  drink.  Here  is  something 
better  than  dates  and  parched  corn — living  bread  and 
wine  of  heaven,  grapes  of  Eshcol,  apples  and  pome- 
granates;— and  then  dreams  and  visions. 

Thus  we  are  equipped  for  the  journey;  staff  in 
hand,  gown  about  us,  sandals  under  foot  and  girdle 
filled  with  food.  What  more  would  we  ?  Shall  we 
set  forth  now,  singing  with  Sir  Walter, 

"Give  me  my  scallop-shell  of  quiet, 

My  staff  of  faith  to  lean  upon, 
My  scrip  of  joy,  immortal  diet. 

My  bottle  of  salvation, 
My  gown  of  glory,  hope's  true  gauge. 
And  thus  I  take  my  pilgrimage  "? 

IV.  Nay,  we  are  not  ready  yet.  One  thing  is 
needful  still;  a  friend  to  journey  with  us.  It  is  weary 
work  to  travel  all  alone.  '*  Two  are  better  than  one; 
for  if  one  falleth,  the  other  will  lift  him  up;  but  woe 
to  him  that  is  alone  when  he  falleth,  for  he  hath  not 
another  to  lift  him  up."    Cowper  sings, 

"How  sweet,  how  passing  sweet,  is  solitude.' 
But  grant  me  still  a  friend  in  my  retreat. 
Whom  I  may  whisper,  'Solitude  is  sweet.'" 


280  "and    thus   I    MAKE    MY   PILGRIMAGE." 

And  where  shall  we  find  a  friend  like  Jesus,  who 
sticketh  closer  than  a  brother  ?  All  the  rough  places 
and  dangerous  are  known  to  him.  In  evil  and  in 
good  report,  in  life  and  death,  he  has  promised  to  be 
near  and  strengthen  us.     "  Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway. " 

The  heart  of  Moses  sank  within  him  when,  on  the 
verge  of  the  wilderness,  he  foresaw  the  dangers  and 
difficulties  before  him;  and  kneeling  down  he  made 
this  prayer,  "If  thy  presence  go  not  with  me,  carry 
us  not  up  hence!"  Then  rising  from  his  knees,  he 
beheld  the  pillar  of  Cloud;  and  it  gave  him  a  two- 
fold promise,  of  communion  and  guidance.  For  the 
Cloud  stood  over  the  tabernacle;  and  within  that 
tabernacle  was  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant;  and  on  that 
Ark  was  the  Mercy-seat  where  God  had  covenanted 
to  meet  his  people  and  commune  with  them.  Our 
spiritual  health  and  comfort  depend  on  our  making 
constant  use  of  this  privilege  of  prayer. 

"  O  may  my  hand  forget  her  skill, 
My  tongue  be  silent,  cold  and  still, 
This  throbbing  heart  forget  to  beat, 
If  I  forget  the  mercy-seat  !" 

But  the  cloud  spoke  of  guidance,  also.  For, 
"when  it  was  taken  up  from  the  tabernacle,  the  people 
journeyed ;  and  in  the  place  where  it  abode,  there  they 
pitched  their  tents. "  Thus,  if  we  put  aside  self-will,  the 
Lord,  according  to  his  promise,  will  ever  go  before  us. 

"  He  leadeth  me,  O  blessed  thought ! 
O  words  with  heavenly  comfort  fraught ! 
What'er  I  do,  wher'er  I  be, 
Still  'tis  his  hand  that  leadeth  me." 

And  now  we  are  ready,  quite  ready  to  go  forward. 
The  Old  Year  gives  us  farewell :  the  New  Year  begins ! 


"and    thus    I    MAKE   MY   PILGRIMAGE."  281 

The  cloud  lifts  from  above  the  tabernacle.  Arise, 
girt  and  sandaled,  and  take  thy  journey!  This  year 
we  live  for  God.  This  year  we  live  for  eternity. 
This  year  we  aim  at  the  noblest  and  best.  No  doubt 
there  will  be  much  of  shortcoming  and  stumbling 
along  the  way;  but  let  us  do  our  best.  An  angel 
could  do  no  better;  and  God  asks  no  more.  But  let 
no  man  think  that  he  is  doing  his  best  unless,  with  all 
his  doing,  he  is  leaning  hard  on  God, 

A  few  years  ago,  on  the  Lakes  of  Killarney,  a 
boatman  rowed  me  to  the  Meeting  of  the  Waters, 
where,  under  a  towering  cliff  known  as  the  "  Eagle's 
Nest,"  he  rested  on  his  oars,  saying,  "This  is  the 
place  of  the  wonderful  echoes."  He  was  about  to 
call  forth  the  genius  of  the  place  by  shouting  aloud, 
when  suddenly  another  boat  appeared  with  a  com- 
pany of  tourists  and  a  bugler.  "Do  you  know  the 
bugler  ?"  asked  I  of  my  boatman.  ' '  Yes, "  he  replied  ; 
"his  name's  Phelim,  and  he's  no  player  at  all."  Just 
then  Phelim  put  the  bugle  to  his  lips  to  awake  the 
echoes.  The  tune  was  "  Rory  O'More,"  and  he 
played  it  poorly  enough:  but,  O  such  music  as  filled 
that  bowl  among  the  hills!  The  bungling  notes  of 
poor  Phelim  were  caught  up,  as  it  seemed,  by  sprites 
or  angels  behind  every  tree  and  jutting  rock ;  and 
ravishing  harmonies  they  made!  Dear  friends,  our 
best  efforts  in  the  coming  year  will  of  themselves  be 
worthless  save  as  Christ  shall  give  them  value  by  his 
blessing.  He  will  transform  our  homely  service  into 
the  beauty  of  holiness.  He  will  supplement  our 
weakness  with  power.  He  will  take  our  stammering 
supplications  and  change  them  into  omnipotent  pleas 
by  adding,  "for  my  sake."    If  we  have  no  bullock 


282  "and    thus   I    MAKE    MY    PILGRIMAGE." 

for  his  altar,  a  turtle-dove  will  please  him.  All  that 
he  requires  is  faithfulness.  If  we  lack  spikenard  for 
the  anointing  of  his  feet,  our  tears  will  content  him. 
He  is  not  an  exacting  Lord.  He  asks  no  better  than 
our  best;  but  our  best  is  possible  only  by  keeping 
close  to  him. 

I  wish  you  now  a  Happy  New  Year, — A  year  of 
bright  hope  and  strong  assurance;  a  year  of  high 
purpose  and  holy  aspiration ;  a  year  of  prayer  unceas- 
ing and  of  deep  mining  among  the  treasures  of  Scrip- 
ture; a  year  of  growth  in  grace  and  kindly  deeds;  a 
year  of  devotion  to  Christ  and  of  close  walking  "in 
his  steps." 

"  Let  us  lay  aside  every  weight,  and  the  sin  which 
doth  so  easily  beset  us;  and  let  us  run  with  patience 
the  race  that  is  set  before  us,  looking  unto  Jesus  the 
author  and  finisher  of  our  faith ;  who,  for  the  joy  that 
was  set  before  him,  endured  the  cross,  despising  the 
shame,  and  is  set  down  at  the  right  hand  of  the  throne 
of  God." 


THE  SCRIBES  AND  PHARISEES 

"For  I  say  unto  you,  That  except  your  righteousness  shall  exceed  the 
righteousness  of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  ye  shall  in  no  case  enter  into  the 
kingdom  of  heaven." — Matt,  s,  20. 

This  is  an  hard  saying;  for  the  Scribes  and  Phari- 
sees were  the  strict  religionists,  and  in  many  respects 
the  best  people,  of  their  time. 

The  Scribes  were  a  body  of  learned  men  organized 
by  Ezra  at  the  time  of  the  return  from  Babylon. 
Their  business  was  to  transcribe  and  expound  the 
Word  of  God,  Inasmuch  as  the  Jewish  government 
was  a  theocracy  and  had  no  system  of  jurisprudence 
except  that  which  was  founded  on  the  moral  code  of 
the  Scriptures,  these  Scribes  were  also  properly  called 
Lawyers.  They  were  experts  in  theology  and  ulti- 
mate authority  as  to  Biblical  truth. 

The  order  of  Pharisees — from  pharash,  meaning 
"to  separate" — originated  in  a  time  of  spiritual 
decadence,  its  purpose  being  to  resist  the  encroach- 
ments of  liberalism  in  religion  and  of  anti-Judaism 
in  politics.  These  men  prided  themselves  on  being 
Separatists  and  were  renowned  for  their  peculiar 
piety. 

The  words  of  Jesus  were,  therefore,  very  much  as 
if  one  were  to  say  nowadays,  "  Take  heed  and  beware 

(283) J 


284  THE   SCRIBES   AND    PHARISEES. 

of  your  preachers  and  elders,  of  your  Doctors  of 
Divinity  and  Theological  Professors." 

The  question  was  one  of  righteousness.  Christ 
preached  a  gospel  of  righteousness;  he  desired  to 
set  apart  for  himself  a  righteous  people;  he  purposed 
to  establish  a  kingdom  of  righteousness  on  the  earth. 

We  need  not  go  to  the  dictionary  for  a  definition 
of  righteousness;  it  is  made  perfectly  clear  in  our 
Lord's  teaching.  It  has  a  negative  and  a  positive 
side;  negatively,  it  means  freedom  from  sin;  posi- 
tively, a  perfect  conformity  to  divine  Law. 

Let  us  attend  now  to  the  caution;  for  our  Lord's 
reference  to  the  righteousness  of  the  Scribes  and 
Pharisees  is  like  a  beacon  set  up  to  warn  mariners  on 
a  dangerous  coast.  It  is  pertinent  to  inquire,  What 
was  the  righteousness  of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees, 
and  wherein  was  it  insufficient  for  such  as  desired  to 
enter  the  kingdom  of  God? 

The  elemental  parts  of  religion  are  three:  a  creed, 
a  moral  code  and  a  devotional  cultus.  In  all  these 
the  righteousness  of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  was  at 
fault. 

/.  They  had  a  Creed,  an  elaborate  one ;  and  they 
were  most  strenuous  in  defending  it.  They  were, 
as  Hudibras  says, 

" Of  that  stubborn  crew 


Of  errant  saints,  whom  all  men  grant 
To  be  the  true  Church  militant; 
Such  as  do  build  their  faith  upon 
The  holy  text  of  pike  and  gun, 
Decide  all  controversy  by 
Infallible  artillery, 
And  prove  the  doctrine  orthodox 
By  apostolic  blows  and  knocks." 


THE    SCRIBES    AND    PHARISEES.  285 

They  were  great  believers.  They  held  to  the  doc- 
trine of  a  personal  God,  having  his  name  written  as 
frontlets  between  their  eyes  and  the  Shema  on  their 
forearm,  "  Hear,  O  Israel,  The  Lord  our  God  is  one 
Lord!  "  They  held  to  immortality,  and  therein 
were  at  swords'  points  with  the  other  national  party, 
the  Sadducees,  who  rejected  the  doctrine  of  angels 
and  the  future  life.  They  were  sticklers  for  the 
inerrancy  of  Scripture,  insomuch  that  they  attached 
a  sacred  significance  not  merely  to  its  words  but  to 
every  jot  and  tittle. 

Thus  they  were  orthodox  of  the  orthodox.  And 
so  far,  so  good.  Far  be  it  from  me  to  say  a  word  in 
disparagement  of  the  strictest  loyalty  to  truth.  A 
man  without  a  creed  is  an  intellectual  and  moral 
invertebrate;  and  he  who,  professing  a  creed,  is 
recreant  to  it,  is  something  worse.  Heresy  is  a  vio- 
lation of  common  honesty.  The  disregard  of  ordina- 
tion vows  is  distinctly  a  breach  of  contract  and  ought 
to  be  classed  with  such  offenses  as  forging  a  check  or 
tapping  a  till.  Nevertheless,  for  some  inscrutable 
reason,  the  man  who  thus  offends,  wins  an  ephemeral 
popularity.  If  I  were  unsuccessful  in  holding  a  con- 
gregation and  had  no  scruple  against  ecclesiastical 
perfidy,  I  should  begin  to  preach  against  the  faith 
which  I  have  solemnly  espoused;  uttering  doubts  as 
to  the  personality  of  God,  insinuations  against  the 
divinity  of  Christ  and  reflections  upon  the  truth  of 
Scripture:  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  presently  there 
would  be  "standing  room  only"  as  in  other  extra- 
ordinary show-places.  But,  fortunately,  the  people 
soon  detect  this  sort  of  thing;  and  they  know  in  their 
heart  that  such   a  renunciation   of  denominational 


286  THE    SCRIBES    AND    PHARISEES, 

truth,  within  denominational  lines,  is  perfidious. 
Honesty  is  the  best  policy  for  preachers  as  for  other 
people,  in  the  long  run. 

Observe  that,  as  disciples  of  Jesus,  we  are  not  told 
to  avoid  the  orthodoxy  of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees, 
but  to  "exceed  "  it.  But  how  shall  we  do  this  ?  By 
adding  life  to  it.  The  insufficiency  of  their  doctrinal 
righteousness  lay  in  the  fact  that  it  was  hollow  at  the 
core.  It  needed  the  quickening  power  of  sincerity. 
The  only  creed  worth  having  is  a  creed  with  a  heart, 
a  creed  with  eyes  to  see  the  path  of  life  and  feet  to^ 
walk  therein.  Thus  it  is  written,  "  Faith  without 
works  is  dead." 

"  For  when  a  man  can  live  apart 
From  works  on  theologic  trust, 
I  know  the  blood  about  his  heart 
Is  dry  as  dust." 

//.  The  Scribes  and  Pharisees  had  also  an  elaborate 
Moral  Code.  They  revered  the  Law  so  much  that 
they  made  a  fetich  of  it.  They  were  careful  to  write 
its  precepts  on  parchment  made  from  the  skin  of  a 
clean  animal  ;  they  must  needs  have  a  margin  three 
fingers  wide  at  the  top  of  the  page  and  four  at  the 
bottom  ;  they  must  wipe  the  stylus  carefully  when- 
ever they  came  to  the  name  of  Jehovah  ;  and  when 
transcribing  the  truth  they  must  neither  move  the 
foot  nor  turn  the  back  ;  and  the  parchment  must 
never  be  touched  with  the  naked  hand. 

In  their  exposition  of  the  Law  they  were  known 
as  strict  constructionists,  holding  themselves  to  the 
binding  force  of  the  very  letter.  They  **  separated  " 
themselves  from  others  by  rigid  obedience,  saying, 
•'  Stand  aside,  for  we  are  holier  than  you," 


THE    SCRIBES   AND    PHARISEES.  287 

And  again  the  followers  of  Christ  are  not  com- 
manded to  avoid  but  to  exceed  this  Pharisaic  regard 
for  Law.  There  is  little  danger  of  legalism  in  our 
time  ;  we  are  disposed  rather  to  minimize  the  value 
of  scrupulous  obedience.  In  part,  perhaps,  this  is 
due  to  the  fact  that  the  Decalogue  is  in  certain  quar- 
ters called  in  question,  not  merely  as  to  its  Mosaic 
authorship  but  as  to  its  divine  origin.  The  prevailing 
sin  of  our  time  is  antinomianism.  It  is  openly  as- 
serted that  Christ  abrogated  certain  precepts  of  the 
Moral  Law.  This  seems  to  me  a  libel  upon  the  per- 
fect Son  of  God.  We  take  great  liberties  with  the 
Ten  Commandments  ;  not  so  did  Christ.  He  came 
not  to  destroy  the  Law  but  to  fulfill  it.  He  ever 
honored  it.  He  required  a  most  exact  and  implicit 
compliance  with  it. 

Where  then  was  the  flaw  in  the  morality  of  the 
Scribes  and  Pharisees  ?  It  was  purely  mechanical. 
//  wanted  life.  It  was  a  body  without  a  heart;  a  tree 
without  a  root.  They  revered  the  letter  which 
killeth  and  ignored  the  spirit  which  giveth  life. 
Their  service  at  the  behest  of  duty  was  like  that  of 
galley-slaves  chained  to  the  oars.  We  need  all  of 
this  rigid  regard  for  Law  and  something  beyond  it. 
Men  of  business,  see  that  the  Law  is  written  above 
the  desks  in  your  counting-room  and  at  the  top  of 
every  page  of  your  ledgers.  Busy  women,  heed  the 
Law  in  your  drawing-rooms  and  in  all  your  domestic 
relations.  Followers  of  Christ,  let  the  mind  that 
was  in  your  Master  be  also  in  you.  The  Law  which 
he  revered  should  be  as  sacred  to  you  as  if  it  were 
written  upon  the  blue  skies  by  day  and  across  the 
Starry  dome  in  fire. 


288  THE    SCRIBES    AND    PHARISEES. 

It  was  to  one  of  the  learned  order  of  Scribes  that 
Jesus  said,  "Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  Except  a 
man  be  born  again  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of 
God."  And  when  asked  what  he  meant  by  this 
regeneration,  he  explained  that  a  man  must  be  born 
of  water  and  of  the  Spirit;  that  is,  of  cleansing  and 
quickening.  It  is  not  enough  that  we  shall  be  out- 
wardly presentable,  that  we  shall  tell  the  truth,  pay 
our  honest  debts  and  look  well  to  our  reputation 
among  men.  God  looketh  on  the  heart;  and  the 
regeneration  which  he  asks  involves  a  new  will,  a 
new  conscience,  a  new  conception  of  duty,  and  a  new 
devotion  to  it.  The  whole  nature  must  be  animated 
by  love  and  loyalty  to  God. 

III.  The  Scribes  and  Pharisees  had  also  a  most 
admirable  Ceremonial  Cultus.  They  were  devoted  to 
the  Church.  In  the  conviction  that  they  alone  were 
right,  they  "compassed  sea  and  land  to  make  one 
proselyte."  They  were  scrupulous  to  the  last  degree 
in  the  observance  of  all  ceremonial  precepts.  They 
never  appeared  in  public  except  in  their  canonicals, 
wearing  phylacteries  or  prayer-fillets  upon  their  arms. 
They  were  extremely  careful  as  to  purifications;  to 
eat  with  unwashen  hands  was  a  crime  equivalent  to 
homicide.  In  the  washing  of  their  hands  they  must 
use  an  egg-shell  and  a  half  of  water,  lift  up  their 
hands  so  that  the  water  should  run  along  their  wrists, 
and  then,  depressing  them  twice,  allow  it  to  trickle 
from  their  finger-tips.  The  Law  of  the  Sabbath  was 
observed  with  such  particularity  and  with  so  many 
additions  to  the  original  prescript  that  it  became  an 
intolerable  burden.  It  was  a  grave  misdemeanor  to 
light  a  fire  or  cook  an  ^%%  or  tie  a  shoe  on  the  holy 


THE    SCRIBES   AND    PHARISEES.  289 

day.  In  payment  of  tithes  they  exceeded  the  legal 
requirement,  giving  not  only  one-tenth  of  fields  and 
flocks  but  even  of  garden  herbs,  such  as  mint,  anise 
and  cummin.  They  fasted  twice  every  week,  and 
made  long  prayers  on  the  corners  of  the  streets. 

Why  should  our  Lord  denounce  such  scrupulosity  ? 
And  wherein  are  we  to  "  exceed  "  it  ?  The  ceremonial 
righteousness  of  these  Scribes  and  Pharisees  was  wholly 
superficial.  They  were  as  whited  sepulchers;  fair 
without,  but  within  full  of  dead  men's  bones  and  all 
uncleanness.  They  made  clean  the  outside  of  the 
platter,  having  little  or  no  care  for  heart-religion. 
Their  fault  was  hypocrisy.  Self-righteousness  is 
always  hypocrisy.  Paul  refers  to  this  kind  of  religi- 
osity in  severest  terms:  "For  they  being  ignorant 
of  God's  righteousness,  and  going  about  to  establish 
their  own  righteousness,  have  not  submitted  them- 
selves unto  the  righteousness  of  God"  (Romans  10,  3). 
Let  us  not  suppose,  however,  that  devotion  to 
the  church  or  to  its  ceremonial  requirements  was 
unpleasing  to  Christ.  He  himself  organized  the 
Church.  The  man  who  would  honor  Christ  must 
not  cast  reflections  upon  the  beauty  of  his  bride.  It 
was  Christ  also  who  ordained  the  sacraments.  If  we 
surely  love  and  revere  him,  we  shall  not  disregard 
his  last  injunction,  "  Do  this  in  remembrance  of  me." 
Nor  cart  we  assert  the  uselessness  of  baptism,  since 
our  Lord  commanded  his  people  to  go  and  baptize 
all  nations. 

We  are  not  in  danger,  in  these  times,  of  loving 
Christ's  Church  too  well  or  of  esteeming  her  ordi- 
nance overmuch;  but  we  are  now  as  always  in  danger 
of  insincerity.     Hypocrisy  is  not  a  sin  of  the  ancient 


290 


THE    SCRIBES   AND    PHARISEES. 


time;  we  are  all  prone  to  it.  The  meaning  of  the 
word  is  "mask-wearing";  and  where  is  the  man 
who  does  not  desire  to  appear  better  than  he  is  ? 
The  purpose  of  Gratiano  is  always  in  vogue: 

"  I  will  put  on  a  sober  habit, 
Talk   with    respect,    wear   prayer-book   in    my    pocket,    look 

demurely. 
Nay  more,  while  grace  is  saying,  hood  mine  eyes  thus  with 

my  hat  and  sigh  and  say,  'Amen.' " 

Our  Lord  admonished  us  to  "take  heed  and  beware 
of  the  leaven  of  the  Pharisees,  which  is  hypocrisy." 
It  is  indeed  as  insinuating  and  permeating  as  leaven 
in  meal.  Let  us  be  genuine.  The  Lord  sees  through 
and  through  us.  It  behooves  us  to  worship  him  in 
spirit  and  in  truth. 

Thus  it  appears  the  righteousness  of  the  Scribes 
and  Pharisees  was  at  fault,  every  way  ;  in  its  creed, 
its  moral  code,  its  ceremonial  observance.  And  the 
inadequacy  of  this  righteousness  was  demonstrated 
when  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  rejected  Christ,  say- 
ing, "Away  with  him!  "  This  is  the  touchstone  and 
final  test  of  righteousness.  There  is  no  true  morality, 
no  true  religion,  no  true  righteousness  which  does  not 
hold  Christ  as  the  very  heart  and  center  of  all.  He 
himself  suggested  the  criterion  when  to  the  young 
ruler,  who  protested  that  he  had  kept  all  the  com- 
mandments from  his  youth,  he  said,  "One  thing  thou 
lackest  ;  go  part  with  all  and  come  and  follow  me. " 

We  return  to  say  again,  that  righteousness  has  a 
positive  and  negative  aspect ;  and,  both  ways,  Christ 
is  the  sum  and  substance  of  it.  On  the  negative  side, 
it  is  freedom  from  sin;  and  there  is  no  pardon  except 
at  the  cross;  as  it  is  written,   "The  blood  of  Jesus 


THE    SCRIBES    AND    PHARISEES.  29I 

Christ  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin."  On  the  positive 
side,  it  is  perfect  obedience  to  perfect  law;  and  this 
is  found  to  be  impossible,  in  the  experience  of  every 
man.  It  may  be  realized,  however,  through  the  im- 
putation of  the  righteousness  of  Christ.  He  kept 
the  Law  perfectly.  Of  all  who  ever  lived  he  alone 
was  as  good  as  the  Law.  And  it  is  provided,  in  the 
Covenant  of  Grace,  that  as  our  sins  are  imputed  to 
him  in  the  sacrifice  of  Calvary,  so  the  merit  of  his 
perfect  obedience  is  imputed  to  all  such  as  have  a 
living  faith  in  him.  He  casts  about  them  the  "  fine 
linen,  clean  and  white"  of  his  own  righteousness,  and 
they  are  thus  made  fit  to  appear  before  God  in  judg- 
ment. Let  no  man,  therefore,  who  rejects  Jesus 
Christ,  imagine  for  a  moment  that  he  can  stand 
before  a  holy  God  without  fear;  for  his  righteousness 
is  but  a  vain  and  empty  show.  His  sins  are  unfor- 
given  and  that  which  he  esteems  as  righteousness  is 
but  filthy  rags.  But  he  that  believeth  in  Christ  shall 
enter  into  life;  for  Christ  "is  made  unto  us  wisdom, 
and  righteousness,  and  sanctification,  and  redemp- 
tion; according  as  it  is  written.  He  that  glorieth,  let 
him  glory  in  the  Lord  "  (i  Cor.  i,  30). 


THE   DRAG-NET 

"  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a  net,  that  was  cast  into  the  sea,  and 
gathered  of  every  kind  :  which,  when  it  was  full,  they  drew  to  shore,  and  sat 
down,  and  gathered  the  good  into  vessels,  but  cast  the  bad  away.  So  shall  it 
be  at  the  end  of  the  world." — Matt.  47-49. 

Our  Lord  was  preaching  by  the  seaside.  His 
theme  was  The  Kingdom, — a  well-worn  theme.  But, 
inasmuch  as  this  is  the  key  of  Christ's  gospel,  it 
is  most  important  that  his  people  should  understand 
it.  All  through  the  Old  Testament  runs  a  golden 
thread  of  prophecy  touching  the  coming  of  One 
known  as  The  Hope  of  Israel,  who  should  bear  the 
keys  of  government  upon  his  shoulder  and  have 
upon  his  vesture  and  upon  his  thigh  a  name  written, 
"  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords."  In  the  fulness 
of  time,  out  of  the  wilderness  came  the  forerunner, 
crying,  "Cast  up  an  highway!  Repent  ye!  repent 
ye!  For  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand."  And 
presently,  when  Christ  began  his  ministry,  he  preached 
the  truths  of  the  Kingdom,  and  taught  his  disciples 
to  pray,  "  Thy  kingdom  come."  Here  by  the  seaside 
he  presents  seven  parables,  which  follow  each  other 
in  logical  order. 

First,  the  Parable  of  the  Sower,  in  which  is  set 
forth  the  inception  of  the  Kingdom.  The  earth  is  a 
fallow  field,  into  which  God  goes  forth,  like  a  hus- 

(392) 


THE   DRAG-NET.  293 

bandman  with  apron-full  of  grain,  scattering  seeds  of 
truth  and  righteousness.  What  matters  it  that  some 
fall  by  the  wayside,  and  some  on  stony  ground,  and 
some  among  thorns?  There  is  still  enough  to  make 
sure  the  joy  of  harvest  home. 

Second,  the  Parable  of  the  Tares,  in  which  is 
announced  the  opposition  to  the  Kingdom.  The 
Prince  of  Darkness  goes  forth  while  men  are  sleeping 
and,  sowing  tares  among  the  wheat,  departs  upon  his 
way.  It  is  too  much  to  expect  the  Evil  One,  with- 
out resistance,  to  suffer  his  dominions  to  slip  from 
him ;  he  will,  if  possible,  thwart  the  gracious  purposes 
of  God. 

Third,  the  Parable  of  the  Mustard-seed,  which 
states  the  formative  principle  of  the  Kingdom.  The 
Law  of  Progress  is  germination.  The  living  seed 
must  grow.  It  grows  in  silence,  unseen.  "The 
Kingdom  of  God  cometh  not  with  observation"; 
neither  do  men  say,  Lo  here,  or  Lo  there! 

Fourth,  The  Parable  of  the  Leaven.  Behold  the 
pervasiveness  of  the  divine  energy.  In  vain  is 
opposition ;  the  end  may  be  seen  from  the  beginning. 
Do  we  pray,  "  Thy  kingdom  come"?  His  kingdom 
shall,  come!  The  leaven  is  destined  to  leaven  the 
lump.  The  glory  of  the  Lord  shall  cover  the  earth 
as  the  waters  cover  the  sea. 

Fifth,  the  Parable  of  the  Hid  Treasure.  Here  is 
the  personal  application  of  the  doctrine  of  the  King- 
dom. It  is  of  supreme  importance  that  a  man  shall 
have  part  in  it.  He  that  succeeds  in  everything  else 
but  fails  here  makes  a  fiasco  of  life.  The  field  where 
the  treasure  lies  hid  is  made  known;  wise  is  the  man 
who  secures  it. 


294  THE    DRAG-NET. 

Sixth,  the  Parable  of  the  Priceless  Pearl.  The 
cost  of  an  interest  in  the  Kingdom  is  renunciation.  Let 
the  merchantman  sell  all  his  goodly  pearls  and  buy 
this.     It  is  the  bargain  of  life. 

Seventh,  the  Drag-net.  Here  is  the  consumma- 
tion of  the  Kingdom,  the  final  casting  up  of  accounts. 
"So  shall  it  be  in  tl\e  end  of  the  world." 

The  scene  comes  vividly  before  us.  As  the  Lord 
teaches  from  the  prow  of  the  little  boat,  his  eyes  fall 
upon  a  company  of  fishermen  drawing  in  their  net. 
The  white  flash  and  ripple  on  the  surface  of  the  water, 
here  and  there,  give  token  of  the  vain  struggle  of  the 
captives.  They  are  drawn  in  slowly,  surely,  irresisti- 
bly, until  at  length  the  fishermen  sit  upon  the  shore 
dividing  the  spoil. 

The  interpretation  is  plain :  The  net  is  that 
divine  force  in  the  world  which  makes  for  truth  and 
righteousness  in  the  name  of  Christ.  Call  it  the 
Church,  if  you  will;  or  let  it  stand  for  personal 
righteousness.  No  matter;  this  power  is  the  King- 
dom, which  controls  the  destinies  of  men  and  nations. 
The  sea  is  the  world;  the  shore  is  eternity;  the  fishes 
are  the  children  of  men. 

Observe,  first,  The  net  is  in  the  sea.  Thanks  be  to 
God!  In  this  we  perceive  his  purpose  of  salvation. 
He  loves  the  rebellious  race.  He  wants  souls.  All 
history  is  to  be  interpreted  in  the  light  of  that  propo- 
sition. Here  is  the  meaning  of  the  Evangel:  "The 
seed  of  the  woman  shall  bruise  the  serpent's  head  "; 
which  was  the  casting  of  the  net  into  the  sea.  Here 
is  the  meaning  of  the  Call  of  Abraham.  At  a  time 
of  great  spiritual  declension,  when  it  seemed  as  if 
truth  and  righteousness  must  perish  from  the  earth, 


THE   DRAG-NET.  295 

it  pleased  God  to  select  a  man  in  Chaldea  to  be  the 
father  of  a  "chosen  people,"  chosen  not  to  special 
privilege  so  much  as  to  special  responsibility;  for  to 
this  family  of  Abraham  was  entrusted  the  duty  of 
keeping  the  Oracles  and  handing  down  the  Messianic 
prophecies  to  succeeding  generations  until  the  Day 
Star  should  arise  with  healing  in  his  wings.  And 
here  is  the  meaning  of  the  Temple,  with  all  its  elabo- 
rate ceremonial  system.  It  was  impossible  to  behold 
from  afar  the  smoke  rising  from  the  brazen  altar  of 
sacrifice  without  perceiving  that  God  was  at  work, 
saving  men. 

This  was,  also,  the  meaning  of  the  Advent.  God 
had  not  forgotten  to  be  gracious ;  his  energy  of  love 
was  in  the  world  like  the  drag-net  in  the  sea.  Break 
forth  into  singing,  O  herald  angels,  for  God  hath 
sent  forth  his  message  of  good-will  toward  men! 

And  this  is  the  deep  significance  of  the  Cross.  God 
is  drawing  the  world.  "He  so  loved  it."  He  hath 
made  bare  his  arm  for  the  deliverance  of  the  ruined 
race.  Hard  work,  this  drawing  of  the  net,  a  griev- 
ous burden  even  to  the  strong  Son  of  God. 

And  the  Church  itself  is  an  expression  of  the  same 
energy.  It  is  the  fulcrum  of  the  lever  wherewith  God 
is  lifting  the  world  into  the  eternal  light.  "  Go  ye," 
said  the  Master,  "and  evangelize!  In  my  name  save 
the  world !  " 

As  he  walked  once  beside  the  sea,  he  came  upon 
a  group  of  fishermen  washing  their  nets.  All  night 
they  had  toiled  and  taken  nothing.  He  bade  them 
launch  out  into  the  deep  and  let  down  their  nets 
again,  and,  lo!  they  enclosed  a  miraculous  draught. 
Whereupon  he  said  to  them,  "  Fear  not;  from  hence- 


296  THE    DRAG-NET. 

forth  ye  shall  catch  men."  And  they  forsook  all  and 
followed  him.  This  is  the  apostolic  commission — 
the  commission  which  our  Lord  lays  upon  all  his 
**  sent  ones  "  that  labor  together  in  the  drawing  of 
the  net.  They  share  with  their  Master  the  toil  and 
glory  of  saving  the  world  from  sin. 

Observe^  second^  the  net  enclosed  a  great  multitude  of 
fishes.  And  again,  blessed  be  God !  On  one  occasion 
a  man  came  to  Jesus  asking,  "Are  there  few  that  be 
saved  ?  "  His  answer  was,  "  Strive  to  enter  in  at  the 
strait  gate" — the  word  here  rendered  "strive"  is 
literally  "agonize" — "for wide  is  the  gate  and  broad 
is  the  way  that  leadeth  to  destruction,  and  many  there 
be  which  go  in  thereat;  because  strait  is  the  gate  and 
narrow  is  the  way  which  leadeth  unto  life;  and  few 
there  be  that  find  it."  This  was  true  at  the  time  it 
was  spoken;  but  it  was  not  true  when  Watts  made 
his  paraphrase: 

"  Broad  is  the  road  that  leads  to  death, 
And  many  walk  together  there; 
But  Wisdom  shows  a  narrow  path. 
With  here  and  there  a  traveler." 

At  the  time  of  the  ascension  of  Christ  there  were 
only  one  hundred  and  twenty  men  and  women  who, 
gathered  upon  the  mountain-top,  looked  upward  in 
tearful  farewell.  Few  indeed  were  those  who,  as 
yet,  had  found  the  narrow  way.  But,  ere  a  fortnight 
had  passed,  Pentecost  came  and  the  descent  of  the 
Spirit,  and  thousands  were  gathered  in.  And  there 
was  thenceforth  no  possibility  of  arresting  the  mo- 
memtum  of  the  gospel.  The  kings  of  the  earth  did 
set  themselves  and  the  rulers  took  counsel  together: 
**  Kindle   the    fagots!"    they   cried,      "Sharpen    the 


THE   DRAG-NET.  297 

sword !  Bring  forth  the  lions !  We  will  make  an 
end  of  this  sect  of  the  Nazarene. "  But  the  blood 
of  the  martyrs  was  the  seed  of  the  church.  The 
net  was  in  the  sea  and  destined  to  enclose  the  multi- 
tudes. To-day  there  are  hundreds  of  millions  who 
love  and  worship  Christ.  In  heaven  there  is  "a  great 
multitude  which  no  man  can  number."  John  saw 
them,  with  their  faces  turned  toward  the  throne 
whereon  was  the  Lamb;  he  heard  their  voice  like 
mighty  thunderings  and  the  roll  of  the  ocean,  singing, 
*  'Worthy  art  thou  to  receive  honor  and  power  and  glory 
and  dominion ;  forthou  hast  saved  usoutof  every  nation 
and  kindred  and  people  and  tribe,  and  hast  washed 
our  robes  and  made  them  white  in  thy  blood!  " 

Yet  how  much  remains  to  be  done.  The  net  is 
not  filled.  It  is  recorded  that,  after  the  crucifixion, 
Peter  said  to  his  fellow  disciples,  "I  go  afishing"; 
and  they  said,  "We  also  go  with  thee."  One  morn- 
ing early,  as  they  were  toiling  in  their  boats,  Jesus 
appeared  on  the  shore;  but  they  knew  him  not.  He 
called, ' '  Children,  have  ye  any  meat?  "  They  answered, 
**  No."  And  he  said,  "Cast  the  net  on  the  right  side  of 
the  ship."  They  did  so  and  were  not  able  to  draw  it 
for  the  multitude  of  fishes.  Thus  do  we  toil  as  the 
Lord's  fishermen  in  these  last  days,  making  naught 
by  water-hauls ;  and  from  the  shore  yonder  comes  the 
voice, ' '  Launch  out !  Cast  the  net  upon  the  right  side !  " 
He  would  have  us  undertake  larger  things.  The  salva- 
tion of  the  world  waits  on  our  slow  methods.  O  for  a 
lofty  spirit  of  enterprise!  "All  power,"  said  Jesus, 
"is  given  unto  me";  and  that  power  is  at  our  com- 
mand if, with  the  abandon  of  entire  consecration,  we 
hold  ourselves  ready  to  toil  and  triumph  with  him. 


290  THE   DRAG-NET. 

Observe,  third,  the  net  encloses  all  sorts  cf  fishes.  The 
Church  is  a  mixed  company;  therefore  the  world 
thrusts  out  its  lip  and  points  a  derisive  finder.  Yet 
what  else  could  be  looked  for,  since  the  net  "gathers 
of  every  kind  "  ?  The  word  of  invitation  is  addressed 
to  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men:  "Come";  "Come 
unto  me  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden  " ;  "Ho, 
every  one  that  thirsteth,  come  ye  ";  "The  Spirit  and 
the  bride  say,  Come.  And  let  him  that  heareth  say. 
Come.  And  let  him  that  is  athirst  come:  and  who- 
soever will  let  him  take  the  water  of  life  freely."  God 
is  no  respecter  of  persons.  Christ  came  not  to  call 
the  righteous  but  sinners  to  repentance.  The  cross 
was  raised  on  a  hilltop;  and  its  arms  are  stretched 
out  in  universal  appeal.  The  words  of  the  gospel  are 
large  words,    "all,"    "whoever"  and  "whosoever." 

Not  only  so;  the  church  doors  are  open  to  all. 
"The  Kingdom  is  preached  and  every  man  presseth 
into  it."  Each  is  responsible  for  his  own  confession 
of  faith.  It  is  not  without  significance  that  there 
was  a  traitor  in  the  apostolic  circle.  So  in  the  visible 
church  there  will  ever  be  some  who  are  self-deceived 
and  some,  alas,  who  are  wilful  deceivers.  The  tares 
and  the  wheat  grow  together  until  the  harvest. 

It  is  true  that  discipline  must  be  administered  in 
flagrant  cases ;  but  who  is  sufficient  unto  these  things  ? 
God  alone  looketh  on  the  heart.  A  man  who  had 
grown  old  as  an  official  member  of  the  church,  was 
accused  of  a  grievous  sin.  The  evidence  seemed  irre- 
futable. He  was  summoned  before  the  session; 
there  was  an  appalling  array  of  circumstantial  proof. 
One  witness  in  particular,  acknowledged  complicity 
with  him.     Urged   to  make  confession,  he  refused, 


THE   DRAG-NET.  299 

persisted  in  his  plea  of  innocence,  was  found  guilty 
and  excommunicated.  The  man  lived  on,  shunned 
by  his  fellows,  burdened  with  shame.  When  dying, 
he  was  visited  by  his  pastor,  who  exhorted  him  to 
make  confession,  that  he  might  go  with  a  clear  con- 
science to  meet  God.  He  said,  "I  have  no  confes- 
sion to  make;  you  have  grievously  wronged  me,  but 
I  blame  you  not.  I  shall  meet  you  presently  at  the 
Judgment  and  there,  in  the  light  of  God's  counte- 
nance, I  will  repeat  my  answer;  I  am  innocent!" 
And  before  the  grass  had  grown  upon  his  grave,  the 
chief  witness  against  him  was  moved  by  remorse  to 
admit  that  she  had  perjured  her  soul.  The  justice 
of  all  earthly  courts  is  imperfect,  God  alone  can  enter 
the  sealed  chambers  of  the  heart.  Let  us,  therefore, 
be  charitable  one  to  another.  The  world  may  deride 
the  church  for  harboring  weak  and  staggering  souls; 
but  we  are  all  too  fallible  to  usurp  the  judicial  func- 
tions of  Omniscience.     We  can  afford  to  wait. 

"  Cross  her  hands  humbly, 
As  if  praying  dumbly. 

Over  her  breast ; 
Owning  her  weakness, 
Her  evil  behaviour, 
And  leaving  with  meekness 
Her  sins  to  her  Saviour." 

Observe^  fourth,  the  net  is  ever  being  drawn  toward  the 
shore.  God's  power  moves  onward  with  a  mighty 
sweep,  enclosing  men  and  nations,  bearing  them 
surely,  irresistibly,  through  time  to  eternity.  It  is  a 
beneficent  force ;  and  those  who  are  least  in  accord 
with  its  benign  purposes  are  still  enmeshed  in  them. 
Vainly  do  they  struggle,  like  fishes  in  the  net.     All 


30O  THE    DRAG-NET. 

are  influenced  by  the  gospel,  whether  they  will  or 
not.  God  exempts  no  man,  however  bitter  and 
rebellious,  from  the  constraint  of  his  kind  providence. 
The  net  moves  onward,  onward  to  the  shore. 

And  on  that  shore  occurs  the  final  reckoning. 
Men  may  argue  as  they  will  concerning  the  great 
problem  of  destiny;  the  Scriptures  have  but  one  voice 
as  to  the  ultimate  separation  of  the  righteous  and 
the  wicked.  We  who  profess  to  follow  Christ  must 
take  him  at  his  word  concerning  this  matter.  *'  His 
fan  is  in  his  hand  and  he  will  thoroughly  purge  his 
floor."  The  wheat  and  the  tares  must  grow  together 
until  the  harvest,  when  the  tares  shall  be  bound  into 
bundles  and  burned,  and  the  wheat  shall  be  gathered 
into  the  garner  (Matt.  13,  30).  The  same  truth  is 
set  forth  in  the  figure  of  the  shepherd  folding  his 
flock;  he  shall  divide  the  sheep  from  the  goats;  and 
he  shall  set  the  sheep  on  his  right  hand  and  the  goats 
on  his  left.  To  those  he  shall  say,  "Come,  ye 
blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit  the  kingdom  prepared 
for  you  from  the  foundation  of  the  world  " ;  and  to 
these,  "Depart  from  me"  (Matt.  25,  31-46).  And 
again  in  the  parable  of  the  virgins;  all  go  together 
to  the  festal  hall,  bearing  their  lighted  lamps;  but 
there  they  divided;  the  wise  pass  in  and  rejoice  at 
the  wedding;  the  foolish  remain  without,  knocking 
and  crying  in  vain,  "Lord,  Lord,  open  unto  us!" 
(Matt.  25,  1-13). 

The  lesson  is  this :  Let  each  look  to  himself,  that 
he  be  counted  worthy  of  eternal  life.  All  are  under 
the  power  of  the  gospel,  but  all  are  not  saved.  All 
are  children  of  privilege,  but  privilege  means  responsi- 
bility.     The  gospel  is  an  atmosphere  in  which   all 


THE   DRAG-NET.  301 

men  move;  but  if  we  would  live,  we  must  breathe  it. 
Strive,  therefore,  to  enter  in.  The  true  "striving" 
is  that  which  lays  hold  on  Christ  as  a  personal  Sav- 
iour. The  line  of  final  cleavage  is  faith  in  him.  Faith 
is  the  word  of  destiny.  We  have  no  right  as  Chris- 
tians to  reason  for  ourselves  as  to  the  issues  of  life. 
God  has  spoken;  "He  that  believeth  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  shall  be  saved,  and  he  that  believeth  not 


'MN  HIM  YE  BEN  FYLLED." 

"  And  ye  are  complete  in  him."— Col.  2,  10. 

The  Church  at  Colosse  had  been  founded  by 
Paul,  and  he  was  profoundly  interested  in  its  welfare. 
A  messenger  came  to  him,  during  his  imprisonment 
at  Rome,  to  say  that  ravening  wolves  had  entered  the 
fold.  On  the  one  hand,  there  were  Gentile  perverts 
who  corrupted  the  Gospel  in  a  vain  effort  to  harmon- 
ize it  with  current  philosophies;  and  on  the  other, 
there  were  Judaizers  who  insisted  that  faith  in  Christ 
was  insufficient  unless  accompanied  by  conformity  to 
the  ritual  observances  of  the  Old  Economy.  To  both 
these  forms  of  heresy  the  Apostle  makes  answer  that 
Christ  alone  is  sufficient. 

The  only  heresy  is  anti-Christ.  There  is  no 
danger  if  we  cleave  fast  to  him.  One  cannot  have  a 
wrong  creed  if  he  receives  the  word  of  Christ  as  ulti- 
mate in  all  matters  of  faith.  One  cannot  go  wrong 
if  he  receives  the  precepts  of  Christ  as  a  final  rule  of 
conduct  and  follows  in  his  steps;  as  it  is  written, 
*'  Whatsoever  he  saith  unto  you,  do  it." 

All  that  is  necessary  in  order  to  a  well-rounded 
character  is  to  be  found  in  Christ.  He  is  himself  the 
fulness  of  the  Godhead  bodily;  we  are  complete  in 
him  ;  or  as  Wycliffe  quaintly  puts  it,  "  In  him  ye  ben 
fylled."     He  is  our  Prophet;  as  such  his  doqtrine  is 

(30a) 


"in  him  ye  ben  fylled.  303 

to  be  received  without  demur.  He  is  our  Priest;  as 
such,  at  the  redemptive  altar,  he  prepares  our  method 
of  approach  to  God.  He  is  our  King;  as  such  he 
dominates  our  walk  and  conversation,  his  will  being 
our  law.  As  Prophet,  Priest  and  King,  he  is  our 
satisfying  portion;  first,  last,  midst  and  all  in  all. 

The  one  thing  necessary  at  the  outset,  to  the  complete- 
ness  of  the  spiritual  man,  is  Life.  But  what  is  life  ?  Is 
it  to  breathe,  and  eat,  and  sleep?  Then  is  a  man 
fellow  to  the  ox  and  horse,  to  birds  and  creeping 
things.  Then  is  he  rightly  defined  to  be  "a  stomach 
and  its  appurtenances."     But  life  is  something  more. 

Is  it  then  to  have  part  in  the  social  organism,  to 
mingle  in  the  strife  of  the  market-place,  to  love  and 
hate,  to  covet  and  hoard,  to  laugh  and  make  merry, 
to  climb  the  ladder  and  push  others  down?  Is  this 
to  live  ?  If  so,  it  is  a  serious  question  whether  or  no 
life  is  worth  living.  If  this  were  all,  man  is  indeed 
but  "a  poor  player,  who  frets  and  struts  his  little 
hour  upon  the  stage  and  then  is  seen  no  more." 
Nay,  there  is  something  further  still. 

Let  us  have  the  definition  of  Holy  Writ;  "This 
is  life  eternal.  To  know  God  and  Jesus  Christ  whom 
he  hath  sent."  We  have  a  divine  birthright,  are 
endowed  with  divine  energies  and  destined  to  an 
eternity  of  communion  with  God.  This  was  the 
gracious  purpose  of  our  creation;  but  sin,  like  a  wild 
boar,  ravaged  our  garden  of  delights.  And  the  only- 
begotten  Son  of  the  Father  came  to  restore  it.  We 
realize  our  manhood  in  him;  as  he  said,  "  I  am  come 
that  ye  might  have  life,  and  that  ye  might  have  it 
more  abundantly. "  He,  as  Mediator  between  the  finite 
and  the  Infinite,  is  the  vital  point  of  contact  between 


304  IN    HIM    YE    BEN    FYLLED. 

the  soul  and  God.     To  touch  God   in  Christ  is  to  be 
thrilled  through  and  through  with  life. 

We  journey  on,  burdened  with  our  sins,  wonder- 
ing, questioning,  doubting,  denying,  until  the  Son  of 
Man  meets  us  as  he  met  Thomas  and  we  stretch  forth 
our  fingers  and  put  them  into  the  wounds  of  his 
hands,  crying,  "  My  Lord  and  my  God!  "  Then  life 
begins;  henceforth  our  conversation  must  needs  be 
in  heaven  where  he  dwelleth.  We  are  in  the  world, 
yet  not  of  it.  Our  life  is  hid  with  Christ  in  God, 
We  have  found  a  new  secret  of  life  which  expresses 
itself  thus:  "I  live,  yet  not  I,  but  Christ liveth  in  me." 

The  second  thing  necessary  to  the  completeness  of  man- 
hood is  Peace.  For  by  nature  we  are  at  variance  with 
God,  with  ourselves,  with  our  fellow  men  and  with 
everything  about  us. 

We  are  at  enmity  with  God.  It  should  have  been 
possible  for  us,  as  it  was  for  Adam,  to  walk  and  talk 
with  God  in  the  cool  of  the  day.  But  something  has 
gone  wrong,  so  that  we  are  alienated  from  God. 
The  comfort  has  gone  out  of  our  souls.  God  calls  us 
by  name  and,  like  Adam,  we  are  afraid  and  hide  our- 
selves from  him. 

We  are  at  odds,  also,  with  ourselves.  "  A  man  is 
his  own  worst  enemy."  We  cheat  ourselves,  wrong 
and  overreach  ourselves,  cut  ourselves  like  the 
demoniac  among  the  tombs,  and  ultimately  kill  our- 
selves; since  sin  is  in  its  nature  suicidal.  He  is  a 
fortunate  man  who  has  never  come  to  a  place  of  disap- 
pointment and  remorse,  where  he  cried,  "I  hate 
myself!"  who  has  never  lain  awake  in  the  night- 
watches,  his  conscience  pointing  a  gaunt  finger  at  him 
9,nd  crying,  "  Shame  upon  thee!  " 


**IN   HIM    YE   BEN    FYLLED.  305 

We  are  at  enmity  also  with  our  fellow  men.  The 
Golden  Rule  should  be  the  standard  of  human  con- 
duct; but  selfishness  controls  us.  The  rule  is,  "Let 
every  man  look  upon  his  own  things."  We  walk 
among  the  suffering  and  dying,  with  hands  stretched 
out  on  every  side  and  voices  appealing  for  help ;  and 
we  are  ever  seeking  our  own. 

But  into  this  world  of  universal  strife  and  hatred 
comes  the  Prince  of  Peace,  bearing  a  flag  of  truce. 
His  purpose  is  to  reconcile  a  man  with  God;  and  this 
he  does  by  vindicating  law  in  the  expiation  of  sin. 
One  who  is  sensible  of  sin,  is  ever  troubled  by  "a 
certain  fearful-looking-for  of  judgment."  He  is  like 
those  miners  of  Cornwall  who,  working  in  shafts 
beneath  the  sea,  hear  ever  the  rumbling  of  the 
troubled  waters  above  them.  To  dull  one's  con- 
science against  the  law  of  retribution  is  but  a  poor 
subterfuge.  It  is  the  part  of  a  coward  to  cry  * '  Peace ! 
peace!  "  when  there  is  no  peace.  But  Christ,  the 
Mediator,  stands  with  one  hand  in  the  Father's  and 
the  other  outstretched  to  us,  desiring  to  bring  us  into 
a  sweet  and  eternal  at-one-ment  with  God. 

And  Christ  reconciles  a  man  with  himself.  Peace 
of  conscience  is  one  of  his  most  gracious  gifts.  Not 
that  a  Christian  may  count  himself  to  have  appre- 
hended, as  though  he  were  already  perfect ;  but  he  is 
sensible  of  a  right  purpose.  He  knows  that  his  past 
sins  are  forgiven  and  that,  with  much  slipping  and 
stumbling,  he  is  trying  to  follow  in  his  Master's  steps. 
And  he  may  say  with  the  utmost  candor  and  humility, 
as  Isaac  Watts  did  when  dying,  **I  thank  God  that 
as  I  close  my  eyes  it  matters  not  to  me  whether  I 
shall  open  them  on  earth  or  in  eternity,  since  the 


3o6  "in  him  ye  ben  fylled." 

word  of  the  Master  has  come  to  me,  '  Peace  I  leave 
with  your  my  peace  I  give  unto  you;  not  as  the 
world  giveth,  give  I  unto  you.  Let  not  your  heart  be 
troubled,  ne'ther  let  it  be  afraid. '  " 

He  reconciles  us  also  with  our  fellow  men.  His 
Gospel  is  the  very  antithesis  of  selfishness.  He  who 
delivers  us  from  the  spirit  of  bondage  and  enables  us 
to  say  **  Abba  Father,"  teaches  us  also  that  all  men 
are  brethren  in  him.  This  is  the  manifesto:  "Glory- 
to  God  in  the  highest,  peace  on  earth  and  good  will 
among  meni"  I  am  my  brother's  keeper.  The 
Good  Samaritan  is  my  exemplar.  It  devolves  upon 
me  in  pursuance  of  the  Gospel  to  do  good,  as  I  have 
opportunity,  unto  all  men. 

One  thing  more  is  necessary  to  the  fulness  and  complete- 
ness of  spiritual  life  and  character^  to  wit.  Power.  These 
three.  Life,  Peace  and  Power;  and  the  greatest  of 
these  is  Power. 

A  man  is  at  his  very  best  and  noblest  when  long- 
ing to  make  his  life  tell  for  God's  glory  and  the  wel- 
fare of  his  fellow  men.  A  gravestone  with  an 
elaborate  epitaph  is  of  little  moment.  A  triumphal 
arch  is  no  better,  since  it  soon  crumbles  into  dust. 
The  pyramids  of  the  Pharaohs  yield  sooner  or  later 
to  the  tooth  of  time  and  rasure  of  oblivion.  But  one 
thing  abides,  Influence.  Here  is  the  magnificent 
power  of  an  immortal  man.  The  soul  can  reach  no 
loftier  height  than  in  the  prayer  of  Moses  ;  "Let  the 
beauty  of  the  Lord  our  God  be  upon  us ;  and  estab- 
lish thou  the  work  of  our  hands  upon  us;  yea,  the 
work  of  our  hands  establish  thou  it!  " 

Our  life  is  a  bundle  of  energies,  but  latent  for 
the  most  part.     No  man  makes  the  most  of  himself, 


"in  him  ye  ben  fylled.  307 

The  average  man  is  a  sleeping  giant.  What  matters 
it  that  I  was  created  in  the  likeness  of  God,  if  all  the 
lilliputian  hopes  and  purposes  of  sordid  life  have 
bound  me  ?  What  signifies  it  that  a  drop  of  water 
has  in  it  the  energy  of  an  earthquake,  if  that  energy 
is  forever  undeveloped  ?  A  living  man  is  no  better 
than  a  mummy  or  a  graven  image,  if  he  does  not 
quit  himself  like  a  man. 

And  O,  the  waste  of  power!  the  squandering  of 
substance!  If  Louis  XVI.  is  contemned  for  turning 
aside  from  the  lofty  pursuits  of  statecraft,  and  diplo- 
macy to  tinker  with  clocks,  what  shall  be  said  of  the 
man  endowed  with  immeasurable  possibilities  of 
influence  who  fritters  away  his  life  in  the  pursuit  of 
things  that  perish  with  the  using  ?  Yet  who  of  us 
makes  the  most  of  his  opportunities  ?  There  is 
many  a  life  which  ends,  like  that  of  poor  Chatterton, 
with  the  words,  "  My  name  is  writ  in  water." 

One  of  the  great  purposes  of  Christ  in  coming  to 
dwell  among  men  was  to  teach  them  how  to  make 
the  best  investment  of  their  energies.  He  spoke  of 
a  kingdom  of  truth  and  righteousness  which  he  pur- 
posed to  establish  in  the  earth,  and  he  invited  all 
earnest  souls  to  turn  aside  from  frivolities  to  co- 
operate with  him.  In  pursuit  of  this  great  end  he 
came  not  to  be  ministered  unto  but  to  minister;  and 
he  called  his  disciples  to  a  similar  service.  Ich  dien 
is  the  princely  motto  of  every  transformed  life.  And 
to  the  end  that  his  followers  might  succeed  in  this 
splendid  life  of  service  the  Lord  endued  them  with 
his  Spirit;  he  breathed  on  them  saying,  ''Receive  ye 
the  Holy  Ghost." 

This  was  the  baptism  of  power.     It  is  a  privilege 


3o8  "in  him  ye  ben  fylled." 

which  belongs  to  every  true  Christian  as  really  as 
the  original  Twelve.  The  energy  thus  conferred 
has  been  the  transforming  factor  in  history  through 
all  the  ages.  All  energy  is  invisible.  We  see  the 
wheels  moving,  but  not  the  Spirit  in  the  wheels.  We 
see  the  smoke  at  the  cannon's  mouth  and  hear  the 
whistle  of  the  projectile,  but  the  propelling  force  is 
not  manifest  to  the  senses.  So  is  it  with  the  energy 
which  comes  from  God  and  is  set  forth  in  the  walk 
and  conversation  of  his  people.  The  kingdom 
cometh  not  with  observation.  A  Christian  looks  like 
any  other  man,  but  he  partakes  of  the  dignity  of 
omnipotence,  since  God  is  within  him  and  works 
through  him. 

It  thus  appears  that  Christ  supplies  our  utmost 
spiritual  need.  All  that  the  world  can  bestow  is  its 
three  shadows;  wealth,  pleasure  and  honor.  What 
is  wealth  but  a  little  yellow  dust,  which  presently  we 
must  leave  behind  us  ?  And  what  are  life's  delights 
but  flowers  that  fade  at  nightfall  ? 

For  pleasures  are  like  poppies  spread, 
You  seize  the  flower,  its  bloom  is  shed  ; 
Or  like  the  snow  fa's  in  the  river, 
A  moment  white, — then  gone  forever. 

And  what  is  the  world's  honor  but  a  mausoleum 
bearing  an  indecipherable  name  ?  Three  breaths, 
three  shadows,  three  troubled  dreams!  The  world 
can  give  no  more.  But  in  Christ  we  have  three  sub- 
stances, proof  against  all  time's  vicissitudes;  life, 
peace  and  power.  What  more  would  you  ?  There 
is  no  more.  Here  is  satisfaction.  Here  is  the 
inheritance  incorruptible  and  undefiled  and  that 
fadeth  not  away. 


"in  him  ye  ben  fylled.         309 

A  group  of  children  were  talking  with  each  other 
about  the  Twenty-third  Psalm;  "The  Lord  is  my 
shepherd;  I  shall  not  want,"  One  of  them  said,  "He 
feeds  his  sheep";  another,  "He  drives  away  the 
lions";  but  the  third  said  thoughtfully,  '■^ He  carries 
them  up  the  hill.''  Here  was  wonderful  exegesis;  it 
was  the  setting  forth  of  the  Shepherd's  love  in  an  all- 
embracing  way.  If  Christ  be  ours,  living  or  dying, 
we  shall  not  want;  as  it  is  written,  "All  things  are 
yours;  whether  Paul,  or  Apollos,  or  Cephas,  or  the 
world,  or  life,  or  death,  or  things  present,  or  things 
to  come;  all  are  yours:  for  ye  are  Christ's,  and 
Christ  is  God's." 

One  practical  inference :  This  truth  of  our  com- 
pleteness in  Christ  is  intended  not  only  for  the 
nourishment  of  our  faith  and  the  increase  of  our  com- 
fort, but  also  for  the  guidance  of  our  conduct.  If  it 
is  in  Christ  that  we  are  complete,  then  in  Christ  we 
must  abide.  We  have  no  life  apart  from  him. 
Unless  we  abide  in  him,  we  are  but  fruitless,  broken, 
withered  branches,  of  no  use  to  the  Vine,  to  our- 
selves, or  to  the  world  around  us. 

But  if  we  abide  in  him  our  life  shall  be  fully 
rounded  out ;  we  shall  bear  many  and  various  fruits, 
to  Christ's  honor  and  to  the  benefit  of  our  fellow  men. 
Love,  joy,  peace,  long-suffering,  gentleness,  good- 
ness, faithfulness,  meekness,  self-control, — all  sweet 
and  delectable  fruits  shall  grow,  developing  by  the 
law  of  our  new  nature;  and  many  will  sit  under  the 
grateful  shade  and  delight  themselves  in  the  sweet 
clusters  of  a  life  that  shall  be  "perfect  and  entire, 
lacking  in  nothing." 

O  for  more  of  the  manifested  completeness  of  the 


3IO  IN    HIM    YE    BEN    FYLLED. 

Christian  life!  Would  God  we  were  less  angular, 
irregular,  uneven!  We  may  be  more  harmoniously 
developed.  We  are  complete  in  Christ.  In  him 
dwelleth  all  the  fulness  of  the  godhead  bodily.  There 
is  no  part  of  his  fulness  that  he  withholds  from  us. 
The  fountain  is  inexhaustible.  We  may  drink  our 
fill.  We  are  not  straitened  in  him.  Of  his  fulness 
we  all  receive,  and  grace  upon  grace.  There  is  no 
limit  except  our  own  little  cup  which  we  bring  to  the 
fountain. 

More  life,  more  perpetual  peace,  greater  power, 
— are  ours,  but  only  in  Christ,  and  only  to  be  had  by 
abiding  in  him.  They  will  be  given  as  we  keep  his 
commandments  and  especially  his  one  great  com- 
mandment of  love  one  to  another.  We  are  under  no 
narrow  and  confining  statute,  like  the  Mosaic  law; 
but  under  a  charter  of  liberty  sealed  with  the  blood 
of  Jesus,  in  whom  we  are  complete. 


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